MARION COUNTY, FL (352today) – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Division of Emergency Management announced plans to return to normal operation after hurricane shelters are emptied and closed, and the Citizen Information Line (CIL) is shut down.
MCSO says the CIL will close at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday), and that all emergency shelters are empty. They are working to return just a handful of citizens to their homes.
Most government offices will reopen Thursday and services will resume normal operations.
Emergency Management will continue to remove debris, clear roadways, and restore utilities. They ask that you continue to take precautions while recovery efforts continue.
- If a downed line is near water – even a small puddle – keep well away.
- Be careful not to stand under damaged tree limbs or power lines. Tree limbs can become weakened during a storm but not fall until several hours or days later. The same can be true for damaged power lines or poles.
- Don’t drive or walk over downed power lines.
- If a wire falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay inside the vehicle until help arrives.
- Downed power lines that come in contact with a vehicle create a dangerous situation. Do not touch the vehicle. Call (352) 732-9111 immediately to report it.
- Do not drive or walk through standing water. There is no way to know what dangers are hidden beneath the surface.
As done in the past, MCSO is currently getting personnel, equipment, and supplies together as they get ready to deploy to northwest Florida counties should they need assistance recovering from Hurricane Idalia.