Florida Prepares for Isaias: Governor Says Widespread Evacuations Not Likely Because of Coronavirus

Widespread evacuations aren't expected in Florida ahead of Isaias because of the coronavirus pandemic, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday afternoon.

"In the era of COVID, I think our guidance from the state has been, look, if it’s a close call, err on the side of people just hunkering down," DeSantis said. "But obviously there does come a point, if you’re in an area and the storm is threatening and that decision is made, we ask you to follow it.”

Some 150 people were in four shelters in South Florida's Palm Beach County Saturday, along with 15 dogs, seven cats and a bird.

Evacuations were voluntary, and residents were urged to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

“Because of COVID-19 we continue to feel that you are safer at home, and therefore during Hurricane Isaias we encourage you to stay inside your home," Bill Johnson, the county's emergency management director, said during a Saturday afternoon briefing. "Shelters should be considered your last resort.”

Shelters were also open in Indian River County, and Volusia County officials announced that shelters there would open at 8 a.m. Sunday.

(MORE: The Latest Forecast for Isaias)

Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday evening. Its track and the extent of any potential impacts remained uncertain.

Florida Power and Light has 10,000 personnel standing by in case of power outages, FPL external affairs manager Sophia Eccleston said during the Palm Beach briefing. Some came from other utility companies as far away as Texas. FPL has warned that there could be delays in restoration and repairs due to coronavirus screening procedures and social distancing requirements among crews.

DeSantis said 22 state parks and campgrounds were shut down. Assets to support search and rescue crews were standing by and the National Guard was monitoring the situation. The state prepared 10,000 individual personal protective kits that could be handed out to evacuees. The kits include masks and gloves.

The Palm Beach County shelters were open only to residents of manufactured and mobile homes or substandard housing. Health screenings and temperature checks are in place, and evacuees are required to wear face masks, Johnson said.

The same criteria applied in Indian River County, an hour to the north, where three shelters opened Saturday afternoon for residents who choose to evacuate from mobile and manufactured homes, low-lying areas or the county's barrier island.

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Volusia County shelters are also opening under the same guidelines. Emergency management director Jim Judge said in a Saturday evening briefing that four shelters would open and are being set up to accommodate social distancing.

This is the first time hurricane shelters have been opened in Florida during the coronavirus pandemic.

The state is battling a massive outbreak of COVID-19, with more than 480,000 confirmed cases and at least 7,022 deaths. Within the state, South Florida is a hotspot for the virus.

Other counties were taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We currently are not planning to open any shelters, however we are prepositioning supplies and equipment should that need arise,” Brevard County Public Safety Director Matthew Wallace said in a Saturday afternoon news conference.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center in Brevard County will be closed Sunday.

In Martin County, beach access points and all county parks and facilities were closed Saturday. Volusia County shut down some drive-on ramps to its famous Daytona Beach, and driving on the beach could be prohibited on Sunday depending on conditions.

St. Lucie County announced that all parks and recreation programs, including swimming pools, would be suspended Saturday and Sunday. Indian River State College will be closed Monday.

Service was suspended Saturday for South Florida's Tri-Rail commuter train system.

If further evacuations are necessary, those with COVID-19 symptoms could be given hotel vouchers under a new partnership with the state and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. More than 400 hotels have expressed interest in the program.

DeSantis said there were no plans to evacuate hospitals at this time, but one small facility in Brevard County was moving COVID-19 patients.

(MORE: Isaias Could be First Test of Florida's Coronavirus Hurricane Plans)

Evacuations could also be complicated by a lack of volunteers. Greta Gustafson, spokesperson for the American Red Cross, said volunteers won't be able to help out at shelters that can't accommodate social distancing.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, all of our sheltering protocols follow the guidance set out by FEMA — which recommends 60 square foot per person in evacuation shelters as a social distancing measure," Gustafson told weather.com in an email Friday. "The Red Cross disaster workforce is primarily made up of volunteers who come from and deploy all over the country. To ensure the safety of that critical workforce and the people we serve, the Red Cross will manage shelters or provide volunteers to staff shelters that adopt FEMA guidelines."

Many counties don't have enough shelter space to meet those requirements. Palm Beach County, for example, isn't allotting more square footage. Officials in Miami-Dade County, where 20 shelters are ready to open if needed, also said they would not be able to follow the FEMA guidelines.

A state of emergency was declared for 19 eastern Florida counties ahead of Isaias.

Most of them are along the state's Atlantic coast, but inland counties, including Okeechobee, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Putnam and Clay are also included.

Some businesses and homeowners boarded up their windows or put up hurricane shutters on Saturday, but for many life went on as usual, despite the storm and the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is the busiest we’ve been all weekend," Patrick Jenkins, manager at Coconuts on the Beach restaurant and bar in Cocoa Beach, told weather.com Saturday afternoon. "People are soaking up the last bits of sun before the storm.”

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