Marion County declares state of emergency for storm system

[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]

Marion County officials have declared a local state of emergency as the Invest 97L storm system develops and moves toward the west coast of Florida.

As of Friday morning, the Marion County area has a 40% confidence level of seeing direct and indirect impacts, said the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Director Preston Bolin at an emergency meeting on Friday.

“The earliest any local impacts would be felt would be probably Saturday night, or likely on Sunday. Impacts could continue well into next week,” Bolin said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday declared a state of emergency for 54 counties along the Gulf Coast and in northern Florida.

Bolin said the county’s biggest concern at this time is heavy rainfall, which could lead to downed power lines, public works issues and road issues.

“Even as the system starts to move northward, there’s still that potential for to get to a Category 1, 2 hurricane potential as it moves up the west coast of Florida,” said Bolin.

Bolin said that the storm has the potential to stall, in the instance that it is “squeezed” between two other systems in the northern United States.

“That’s why the state is potentially looking at this could be a three or four-day event, with multiple inches of rain as it comes down on the state of Florida,” Bolin said.

The county and city of Ocala will open up self-serve locations to fill up sandbags to use in the case of flooding, as soon as noon on Friday.

“Public safety is one of our most important jobs, and the state of Florida feels the same way in this we are making sure that all of our citizens are well prepared, and we are able to respond should there be a need to in the future,” said Commission Chair Michelle Stone.

Sandbag locations:

Open at noon on Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday

• Marion Oaks Community Center (294 Marion Oaks Ln., Ocala)
• Wrigley Field (405 County Rd. E 316, Citra)
• John Van Fleet Sports Complex (14445 NE 14th Street Rd., Ocala)
• Dunnellon Public Works (11921 Bostick St., Dunnellon)
• Martel Recycling Center (296 SW 67^th, Ocala)
• Belleview Sports Complex (6602 SE 107^th, Belleview)

Open 24 hours a day

• Tuscawilla Park (829 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala)
• E.D. Croskey Recreation Center (1510 NW 4^th St., Ocala)

“The Marion County Emergency Management Citizen’s Information Line will be operational today from noon until 8:00 p.m. and will reopen on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Please call 352-369-7500 for any questions about this weather event. We ask that citizens use this line for non-emergency inquiries only. As always, please call 911 for emergencies,” said MCSO.