We will be posting up to date weather information as we receive it. The best source for emergency coverage is 88.1 FM on your radio or the Florida Storms app which is available for iPhone and Android devices.
Last updated: February 23, 10:04 p.m.
7:36 p.m. Severe Storm warning for Ft. Walton Beach
7:22 p.m. Okaloosa Emergency Operations Center Partially Activates Due to the severity of storm predictions by the National Weather Service (NWS), the Okaloosa County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), is partially activated (Level 2). The NWS is issuing warnings in our area for severe weather through tonight and until 2 AM. Numerous storms with wind gusts are expected, as well as possible hail and tornadoes.Residents in Okaloosa County registered for the Code Red Weather Warnings System, will receive warnings if weather event is expected in their area.
The National Weather service has issued a severe weather warning for our listening area from approximately 6pm tonight until 2am.
Ken Wolfe is Emergency Management Coordinator for Okaloosa County, “The same weather briefing that Escambia County is getting is the same one we’re getting which is we’re looking at the most severe tonight from 6 until later into the evening.”
Wolfe says the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located on the main campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville is currently monitoring the weather system but, will not activate unless there’s a major change in conditions, “We won’t activate the EOC, but we’ll be at we call Level 2. Just a more heightened awareness level. We have ninety two positions. We’d have to have a full activation for that. We won’t be doing that. That would require a local state of emergency from the commissioners.”
The Okaloosa County School District has cancelled all indoor and outdoor after school activities today. Normal School District and UWF operations will resume tomorrow, Feb. 24th unless conditions change, then students, faculty, and staff will be notified. And, Crestview will be opening a severe weather shelter tonight at Community of Christ Church. They’re also opening cold weather shelters in the area Wednesday through Saturday nights.
Wolfe recommends staying indoors (if possible) this evening while keeping an eye on the storm and the changing weather conditions, “If you don’t have to go out, don’t go out. Stay put, stay in your house. You know listen to the weather service; listen to the radios, TV. Because they are predicting a possibility of tornadoes and ones that, long duration, one’s that can stay on the ground. And they’re talking about winds being gusty, 30-40, possibly up to as much as 80 in some areas.”
Wolfe says a great way to be prepared for the storm tonight (as well as future storms) is by downloading the Be Ready Okaloosa app for your smart phone or tablet. It’s free in the app store. Within the app, Wolfe says residents can register for a program that will physically call your phone if there are severe weather warnings in your area of Okaloosa County, “We have a program called Code Red, which is our weather warning system. It’s also our notification system. If we do activate the EOC we could notify everybody, you know it’s a thousand calls a minute. The last time we did it, it only took thirty seconds to notify everybody.”
The Code Red icon is also located on the Okaloosa County web site home page at Okaloosa f l dot com. For emergencies residents can call the Citizens Information Line at 311.