Florida

Multiple Tornadoes Cause Heavy Damage Across Florida Panhandle – Florida Daily

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Multiple Tornadoes Cause Heavy Damage Across Florida Panhandle – Florida Daily

Share this Story via Facebook, X, Text, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Outlook

Tornadoes and severe storms wreaked havoc across Florida’s Panhandle on Tuesday, destroying homes and businesses in towns including Panama City Beach and other areas of Bay County and other towns across the region. State and county officials are estimating the damage.

Two rounds of severe weather struck Bay County throughout the morning on Tuesday. According to county officials, at least five local people were injured during the storm, while 100 people were displaced, and approximately 1,400 households were without power. On Tuesday night, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that approximately 87,700 residents reported that they were without electric power.

Selecia Bowser, an NWS meteorologist, told the Panama City News Herald that the agency has received reports of tornadoes in Bay County, and that crews will be sent to the areas to survey damage and make determinations.

“That’s where we’ll be able to do a damage assessment and look and see what we’re looking at, as far as structural damage (and) tree damage,” Bowser said. “Then we’ll be able to make a final conclusion.”

Below is a list of updates provided by Gov. DeSantis’ office:

State Response Efforts

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is leading the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) for the multi-hazard severe weather event.
The SEOC has been activated to a Level 1 with all Emergency Support Functions (ESF’s) present and coordinating.
The SERT is hosting twice daily calls with all county emergency management offices to address any reported unmet needs.
For information on school closures, road closures, and other vital updates, visit FloridaDisaster.org/StormInfo.
The Florida State Guard was activated by the Governor to support preparation and response efforts in coordination with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and other state partners. The activation of the following volunteers and resources has been initiated:
- A logistics team deployed to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CBJTC) within six hours of activation to pre-stage vehicles and prepare route clearance equipment and recovery supplies.
- 31 soldiers are staged and will deploy to assist with damage assessments and other missions as requested. Additional soldiers are on standby to assist impacted counties with distributed logistics as needed.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is actively coordinating with local law enforcement agencies to address unmet needs as a result of the severe weather event.
FDLE has prepared a mobile command vehicle, command post and sleeping unit ready for deployment.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) distributed instructions to vessel owners in the projected path of the storm to secure their boats ahead of severe weather.
FWC officers throughout North Florida have transitioned to an increased state of readiness to respond to wind-damaged areas or high-water events.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is prepared to provide assistance to drinking water, wastewater and hazardous waste facilities affected by today’s severe weather.
DEP is prepared to conduct post-storm beach surveys to determine impacts to shorelines and erosion, as well as inspect damage to beach projects.
State parks in the Florida Panhandle have delayed opening and will resume normal operations as weather permits. Visitors are encouraged to visit FloridaStateParks.org to check the status of individual parks.

Health and Human Services

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) in Calhoun County and Liberty County have prepared to open Special Needs Shelters if needed.
The following County Health Departments Offices are closed on Tuesday, January 9, 2024: Leon County, Franklin County, Wakulla County, Gadsden County, Gulf County, Madison County and Duval County. DOH will provide updates regarding reopenings and service availability as this information becomes available.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clients have been contacted regarding access to remote services due to closures or limited operations in the following counties: Santa Rosa County, Escambia County, Okaloosa County, Franklin County, Wakulla County, Jefferson County, Madison County, Taylor County, Leon County, Bay County and Gulf County.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has remained in contact with hospitals and health care facilities in the impacted areas.
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), is continuing to work to contact clients, providers and partners to determine safety and wellbeing and assess unmet needs.
The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) Area Agencies on Aging are monitoring the severe weather.
- The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas shared emergency information with their local aging network and asked to be notified if any unmet needs arise.

Infrastructure, Roads, State Closures and Outages

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) maintenance crews have cleared downed trees along State Road 285 in Okaloosa County, State Road 69 in Jackson County, and US 90 in Leon County.
In Tampa, the Howard Frankland construction barges have been secured for potential wind and wave impacts.
FDOT crews engaged in pre-storm preparations, which include checking roadways for potential drainage concerns, placing additional team members on standby, securing operations yards and staging equipment as needed across the state.
As conditions are rapidly changing, please refer to FL511.com for real-time road and bridge closures.
The Florida Department of Education is consistently updating its website with school district closures, as well as State University System and Florida College System Closures.

Resources for Employees and Businesses

Florida Commerce has activated the Florida Private Sector Hotline (850-815-4925). Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
Today, FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to January severe weather. Businesses can complete the survey online by visiting www.FloridaDisaster.biz and selecting “January Severe Weather” from the dropdown menu.

Closures

CareerSource Closures
- CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion
- CareerSource Capital Region
- CareerSource Gulf Coast
- CareerSource Chipola
- CareerSource Okaloosa Walton
- CareerSource Escarosa

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has suspended certain provisions of section 489.113(3), Florida Statutes to allow certified or registered general, building, or residential contractors to subcontract roofing work for the repair or installation of any roof type in listed counties:
- Registered contractors are not subject to geographic scope limitations or requirements in section 489.513(5), Florida Statutes, when providing services in listed counties, subject to additional requirements outlined in the emergency order.
- Registered contractors are required to provide their state registration, proof of compliance with applicable workers’ compensation, and liability and property damage insurance to the jurisdiction in which the work is being performed.
DBPR encourages Florida’s licensed contractors who are looking to help property owners in need of post-storm construction-related services to register with its Florida Disaster Contractors Network at DCNOnline.org. Once homeowners are safely able to assess their home repair needs, DBPR encourages them to log onto DCNOnline.org and search by county for a list of Florida-licensed contractors providing these services in their community.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is in close communication with law enforcement and transportation partners and stands ready to assist for potential storm impacts.

- The Florida Highway Patrol is prepared to implement altered shifts in preparation for any potential storm response.
- The Florida Highway Patrol is monitoring bridges and prepared to close certain bridges in the event of dangerous conditions.

Follow @FLSERT and @GovRonDeSantis on X, formerly known as Twitter, for live updates. Visit FloridaDisaster.org/ for more information.

Florida Daily offers news, insights and analysis as we cover the most important issues in the state, from education, to business and politics.

View all posts

Advertisement

Share this Story via Facebook, X, Text, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Outlook

Source link

Florida

House ethics panel finds Florida congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 violations

Published

35 seconds ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

House ethics panel finds Florida congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 violations

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee found Friday that Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida had committed numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, a ruling that could add weight to Republicans’ push to expel her from Congress.

After meeting for over seven hours Thursday night, an ethics panel composed of four Democrats and four Republicans found that Cherfilus-McCormick had committed 25 ethics violations. The panel said it would recommend a punishment in the coming weeks.

The allegations center around her receipt of millions of dollars from her family’s health care business after the state of Florida made an overpayment of roughly $5 million in disaster relief funds. Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.

The congresswoman, who is running for a fourth term representing a southeastern Florida district, has denied wrongdoing, and her attorney stridently criticized Thursday’s public hearing — the first open proceeding in nearly 15 years. But the ruling from the Ethics Committee could fuel a potential vote on her expulsion and divide a Democratic Caucus that is trying to make a comeback to power in the November elections.

Cherfilus-McCormick also faces federal charges for allegedly stealing the $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds and using it for purchases like a 3-carat yellow diamond ring. Her brother, former chief of staff and accountant were also charged in the alleged scheme. She pleaded not guilty to those charges, and her attorney indicated Thursday that the trial is expected to start in the coming months.

Source link

Florida

Driver arrested after allegedly plowing onto Florida airport tarmac

Published

12 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Driver arrested after allegedly plowing onto Florida airport tarmac

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

UP NEXT

Trump extends deadline for Iran strikes amid talks

01:25
Trump says he will sign order to pay TSA workers following weeks of long lines

01:37
U.S. stocks suffer biggest loss since the war with Iran started

06:41
North Carolina mother missing for 24 years is reunited with daughter

01:48
Rocky statue temporarily moving inside Philadelphia Museum of Art

00:20
Judge says he won’t dismiss Nicolás Maduro’s case over legal fees dispute

08:59
Viral robot appearances on the rise as White House hosts humanoid robot

02:56
Trump calls mail-in ballots a ‘way of cheating’ despite casting one himself

01:02
Utah police investigate Taylor Frankie Paul on third allegation of domestic violence

02:39
Melania Trump unveils humanoid robot at D.C. summit

01:00
Meta and YouTube found liable of negligence in social media addiction trial

04:42
Trump gets Iran war briefings through strike video montages, U.S. officials say

01:34
Quadruple amputee and pro cornhole player accused of murder

02:14
‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson cleared after neighborhood fight

01:34
OpenAI announces it is shutting down video platform Sora

02:33
Jury in New Mexico finds Meta violated state law in child exploitation case

03:01
How Elon Musk’s Mississippi power plant is affecting residents

04:21
NTSB says there were two controllers in LaGuardia tower at time of fatal collision

06:31
Rubio testifies in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela

02:01
Officials summarize audio inside cockpit before crash at LaGuardia

03:51

Top Story

UP NEXT

Trump extends deadline for Iran strikes amid talks

01:25
Trump says he will sign order to pay TSA workers following weeks of long lines

01:37
U.S. stocks suffer biggest loss since the war with Iran started

06:41
North Carolina mother missing for 24 years is reunited with daughter

01:48
Rocky statue temporarily moving inside Philadelphia Museum of Art

00:20
Judge says he won’t dismiss Nicolás Maduro’s case over legal fees dispute

08:59

Nightly News Netcast

Nightly News

Play All

Source link

Florida

Audubon Florida leader has built reputation for working across party lines | The Invading Sea

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Audubon Florida leader has built reputation for working across party lines | The Invading Sea

By Issabella Gutierrez

As a child growing up in rural Florida, Julie Wraithmell once stood at the foot of a tall pine tree and watched a woman climb 50 feet into the air to occupy an abandoned eagle’s nest. The woman, Doris Mager, stayed there for a week to raise money for raptor rehabilitation. For young Julie, the “nest-in” became a blueprint for a life in conservation.

In Florida’s often unpredictable environmental policy landscape, Wraithmell has built a reputation for working across party lines.

Audubon Florida Executive Director Julie Wraithmell at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Photo courtesy of Audubon Florida)

Today, as the vice president and executive director of Audubon Florida, the state office of the National Audubon Society, she leads the organization’s statewide science and advocacy efforts from her office in Tallahassee. She spends the legislative session in committee hearings and meetings with lawmakers, agency officials and conservation leaders.

Over two decades, she has evolved from a field biologist and self-described “bird nerd” into an influential environmental leader in Florida, navigating a political landscape that can be as unpredictable as any treetop.

A native Floridian, Wraithmell earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Duke University and a master’s degree in science from Florida State University.

She began her career in 1997 as a biologist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, where she worked for eight years and helped launch the Great Florida Birding Trail, a 2,000-mile network connecting more than 500 wildlife-viewing sites.

Wraithmell now oversees 80 Audubon Florida staff members and 45 chapters statewide. Beyond lobbying, she directs habitat restoration strategies and coordinates policy teams focused on land conservation and water quality.

Renée Wilson, a senior communications coordinator at Audubon Florida, described Wraithmell as a “getter-donner” who remains “cool as a cucumber” even when tension runs high in the Capitol.

“She’s not a micromanager,” Wilson said. “She gives you the direction you need, and she’s there if you need a course correction, but she really empowers the staff to follow their passions.”

A great blue heron at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where the state proposed to build golf courses before public outcry scuttled the plan. (Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Her leadership was tested in 2024 and 2025, when proposals surfaced to add golf courses to state parks and to swap protected land at the Guana River Wildlife Management Area for development. Audubon Florida helped generate tens of thousands of public comments and coordinated bipartisan opposition that led to the withdrawal of both proposals.

Elizabeth Alvi, senior director of policy for Audubon Florida, said Wraithmell’s leadership in these sensitive moments is defined by a refusal to be pulled off course by short-term pressure. She added that Wraithmell is widely respected by lawmakers across the aisle.

“People know that when she speaks, it is grounded in science and aligned with a clear organizational priority, not opportunistic positioning,” Alvi said. “That discipline earns respect in the Capitol because it’s consistent and thoughtful.”

Wraithmell often quotes a mentor who told her that advocacy requires “weaving back and forth across the political aisle like sloppy drunks.”

“You might find yourself fighting a legislator over a road project one year, but you have to be ready to partner with that same person on a land conservation bill the next,” Wraithmell said. Holding onto professional grudges, she said, is a luxury the environment cannot afford.

That pragmatism shapes her push for stable funding for Florida Forever, the state’s land acquisition program that has preserved more than 1 million acres. While funding has fluctuated in recent years, she said unstable funding could impede critical habitat purchases as development pressures increase.

Heavily oiled brown pelicans waiting to be cleaned following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. (International Bird Rescue Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

In 2010, Wraithmell led Audubon’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, advocating for restoration settlement funds to be directed toward coastal bird habitat recovery. Her efforts earned her the Charles H. Callison Award in 2015, the highest honor from the National Audubon Society.

Wraithmell does not shy away from the topic of climate change.

“The ocean is coming for us,” Wraithmell said. “Whether you call it climate change, sea-level rise or flooding, we are seeing the impacts on our shorebirds and our coastal communities right now.”

Under her leadership, Audubon Florida has expanded coastal resilience efforts, including protecting nesting grounds threatened by rising sea levels and promoting nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and living shorelines. Alvi said many people underestimate how difficult it is to align science, policy timing and organizational reputation simultaneously.

“The most significant win will likely be institutional strength: a conservation movement in Florida that is more strategic, more science-driven and more disciplined in its public engagement,” Alvi said.

When asked to summarize Florida’s environmental story in a single place, Wraithmell pointed to the Everglades. She described it as an ecosystem shaped by historical “screw-ups,” from ditching and draining to the exploitation of birds.

“It’s a site of people coming together and saying, ‘Whoop, we screwed up. Now what are we going to do about it?’” Wraithmell said. “With billions of dollars in investment, we are seeing results.”

Despite the rapid pace of development across Florida, Wraithmell remains optimistic about the future, pointing to volunteers, students, and local advocates who make up the Audubon Florida network.

“Watching kind of the creative magic that they get up to together,” Wraithmell said. “That is what gives me hope for the next decade.”

The little girl watching from the ground is gone. Now, Julie Wraithmell is the one in the treetop, asking young Floridians to climb with her and protect wild Florida.

Issabella M. Gutierrez is a junior majoring in multimedia journalism at Florida Atlantic University. Banner photo: A great egret flies over the Florida Everglades (iStock image).

Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe.

Source link