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Hurricane Helene

Last week Florida’s Big Bend and Gulf Coast regions were hit by category four Hurricane Helene.

Sadly, at the time of this report 58 people including 11 Floridians lost their lives due to the devastating storm. The fatalities easily could have been double or triple if not for the pre-storm preparation led by Governor DeSantis, the Department of Emergency Management, and the brave and courageous first responders who risked their lives to save others.

Hurricane Helene made landfall approximately 10 miles west-southwest of the city of Perry (52 miles southeast of Tallahassee) with over 140 mile per hour winds. Hurricane Helene was over 500 miles wide and caused damage and destruction from Naples to Tallahassee. With landfall near Perry, the effects are significant as the city and surrounding areas are still recovering and rebuilding from the two previous Hurricanes, Idalia and Debby.

Governor DeSantis said initial assessments and reports indicate the damage from Hurricane Helene is greater than both Hurricane Idalia and Hurricane Debby combined. Moody’s Analytics initial estimate is that the storm has caused $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage.

As of Saturday morning, power was restored for 1.9 million residents and 457,000 remain without power (See FPL update below). Over 12,000 miles of roadway has been cleared from debris by 807 “toss and cut’ crews and over 1,400 bridges were inspected within the first 36 hours since landfall. Over 1,000 rescues missions have taken place along the Gulf Coast.

Seven Florida ports remain closed awaiting Coast Guard inspection of the channels leading to and from the ports. Port Canaveral experienced minimal damage and disruption, and normal operations for cruise and cargo transit resumed early Friday morning.

If you or your family need assistance following Hurricane Helene, feel free to contact our office at 321-409-2025 or visit the Brevard County Emergency Management Recovery Page.

I consider it a great honor to represent District 19. Please share this link with your friends and family so they too, can sign up for the Mayfield Minute.

If you or someone you know needs my assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff and I are here to serve you!

Statewide Update

Florida Power & Light Update on Power Restoration

As of Friday evening, FP&L reported restoration of power to 85% of impacted residents within 24 hours of Hurricane Helene making landfall. The company confirmed 95% of affected customers in Brevard, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Lee, and Volusia counties have power restored. The remaining 5% should have had their power restored by end of day, Saturday.

FP&L crews are working 24 hour shifts to restore power, clear debris, and to repair downed powerlines and poles. The company serves approximately 12 million Florida customers. In a press conference on Saturday, September 28th, Governor DeSantis announced that less than 50,000 of FP&L customers are still without power and they are mostly located in the hardest his areas.

For more information, please visit www.FPL.com

New Laws Taking Effect October 1st

On Tuesday October 1st, 34 new state laws passed during the 2024 Legislative Session and signed by Governor DeSantis will take effect.

For a full list of laws going into effect this week, click here.

Below you will find underlined links to some important bills that may have an impact on your family. If you have any difficulty navigating the Senate website, please contact my office at 321-409-2025 and we will assist you.

–     HB 403: Specialty License Plates

–     HB 549: Theft

–     SB 718: Exposures of First Responders to Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs

–     SB 758: Tracking Devices and Applications

–     SB 764: Retention of Sexual Offense Evidence

–     SB 1036: Reclassification of Criminal Penalties

–     HB 1049: Flood Disclosure in the Sale of Real Property

–     HB 1235: Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders

–     HB 1365: Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping

–     HB 1389: Digital Voyeurism

–     SB 1628: Local Government Actions

Florida Swim Voucher Program

A new program was launched last week which will provide vouchers to eligible families to assist with the price of swimming lessons for their children. Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children ages one to four.

“I am proud to launch the Florida Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. This program will provide swimming lessons by certified instructors at no cost to eligible Florida families who have one or more children four years of age or younger,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. 

“Local organizations will partner with the State of Florida to equip children with critical life-saving skills that can help them stay safe in the water when it matters the most. The Florida Swimming Lesson Voucher Program reaffirms our administration’s commitment to the safety and well-being of children in and around water,” she added.

For more information on the voucher program or to find out if you are eligible, click here.

Agency Highlight

Division of Emergency Management

This past week our State experienced a devastating Category 4 storm, Hurricane Helene.

Under the leadership and direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (Division) is responsible for the planning and response to both natural and man-made disasters. 

These disasters range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. The Division prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities.

The Division is the state’s liaison to federal and local agencies on emergencies of all kinds. Division staff members provide technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures and conduct emergency operations training for state and local governmental agencies. Part of their mission is coordinating, collaborating, and communicating with all community stakeholders for a more resilient Florida.

The Division maintains the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee which serves as the communications and command center for reporting emergencies and coordinating state response activities alongside county emergency officials. Additionally, the Division operates the State Warning Point, a state emergency communications center staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is also overseen by the Division. SERT serves as an inter-agency organization authorized by law for the purpose of assisting locals in responding to and recovering from disasters. The SERT is comprised of Sections, Branches, and Emergency Support Functions (ESF). These entities work closely with one another to fulfill resource requests from local entities requiring support before, during, and after a disaster.

Kevin Guthrie is the Executive Director for the Division, appointed by Governor DeSantis in 2021. Mr. Guthrie has more than 30 years of experience in public safety and emergency management in the state of Florida. 

Prior to serving as Executive Director, Mr. Guthrie served as the Chief of Staff and Deputy Director for the Division. His primary focus includes coordinating response efforts among all state agencies, counties, and municipalities ahead of natural and man-made disasters to ensure that Floridians are prepared.

Before joining the Division, Executive Director Guthrie spent the first 23 years of his career as a Police Officer and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and later served as the Public Safety and Emergency Management Director for the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners. He then went on to serve as the Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety for Pasco County where he was responsible for all Emergency Services, Fire/Rescue and the 911 Communications Center.

For more information on Florida Division of Emergency Management, click here.

Constituent of the Week

This week for our Constituent of the Week we are highlighting John Scott and the critical role he holds as Director of Brevard County Emergency Management. Director Scott’s position cannot be overstated as we observe the danger to life and property our neighbors to the West Coast and North to the Big Bend dealing with as a result of the latest natural catastrophe, Hurricane Helene.

A native of Florida and Brevard County, John Scott has worked for Brevard County’s Emergency Management Department for 12 years. He was named Director in January 2021 after serving prior in the department as homeland security coordinator, operations coordinator, and operations manager.

The Brevard County Emergency Operations Center is the most activated site in Florida due to the numerous launches and potential hurricane threats in our area.  

This past week in preparation for Hurricane Helene, Director Scott regularly provided updates on storm preparations, status of schools, public transportation, and community services messages from the EOC.

Throughout his career, Director Scott has responded to local, state, national, and international disasters including floods, wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Haiti Earthquake, Deep Water Horizon oil spill, radiological space launches, and countless tropical storms and hurricanes.

Previously, Director Scott worked for Monroe County (Florida Keys) Emergency Management as the Senior Planner, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management as the Region 7 Coordinator. He holds the designation of Florida Professional Emergency Manager from the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, where he served seven years on their Executive Committee, including two terms as President. 

Director Scott led Brevard County’s emergency management team in the longest continuous activation in Brevard County during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. He managed vaccination efforts, logistical resources, and created the “pop-up pantry program” utilizing existing churches and community organizations to deliver meals to residents experiencing shortages of food and financial resources.

He has earned countless local, state, and national recognitions and served on many boards and councils citing his leadership experience in critical emergency management operations, crisis planning, and major disaster response and recovery.

Director Scott graduated from Rockledge High School and the University of South Florida. He and his wife, Bobbie of 20 years, reside in Rockledge with their beloved dog, Storm.

District 19 is grateful for Director Scott’s ongoing leadership in crisis preparation, emergency management, and recovery efforts throughout Brevard County and the state of Florida.

District Highlights

Ballard Park Coastal Cleanup

Community members came together last week to participate in a volunteer cleanup of Ballard Park. The park is located along the water at 924 Thomas Barbour Drive in Melbourne. In total, 25 volunteers participated collecting more than 815 pounds of trash.

Ocean Conservancy and Keep Brevard Beautiful organized the event in their ongoing joint mission to protect our natural resources.

If you would like to volunteer at the next cleanup event, visit the volunteer page on the Keep Brevard Beautiful website.

Viera Hospital Opens New Labor and Delivery Unit

While celebrating the grand opening of their new labor and delivery unit last month, Viera Hospital learned they earned the highly coveted five-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the second year. Viera Hospital is one of only 15 hospitals in Florida and one of 381 hospitals nationwide to receive the distinction.

To earn the rating, hospitals are evaluated on 46 criteria divided into five categories including patient experience, safety of care, mortality, readmission rates, and timely and effective care.

In addition, Viera Hospital celebrated the healthy birth of their first baby born in the new labor and delivery unit the same week.

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Lance Skelly, Systems Director, Corporate Communications at Health First.

The new unit will handle labor and deliver care patients from Cape Canaveral Hospital and surrounding area hospitals.

Upcoming Events

Downtown Melbourne Putta Palooza

On Saturday, October 5th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Melbourne Main Street will be hosting their first Downtown Melbourne Putta Palooza event. Check-in takes place at Hotel Melby’s rooftop bar (801 Strawbridge Avenue) in Melbourne and your putt-putt round of golf will end at Chumley’s Depot (1929 Depot Drive) in Downtown Melbourne.

Approximately 15 local businesses are participating in the Putta Palooza event, and each will have unique putting greens for you to try your luck at a hole in one.

Tickets are priced at $30 for an individual and $100 for a team of four. Entry will include all necessary golf gear and two drink tokens for those over the age of 21. If you sign up individually you will be placed on a team.

To purchase tickets and view the list of participating merchants, click here.

59th Annual Space Coast Art Festival

The Avenue Viera (2261 Town Center Avenue) in Melbourne is hosting the Space Coast Art Festival which will feature 50 local artists as well as a showcase of student art.

The festival will take place Saturday October 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday October 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This event is free to attend, and most of the art displayed will be available for purchase. There will be a children’s section where kids can create their own art to take home.

For additional information on the event, click here.

“Opening Doors for Women” Fundraiser Hosted by the

New Life Mission

New Life Mission, a local non-profit organization, is hosting a fundraiser to benefit homeless women in our community. The event will be held Thursday, October 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the American Muscle Car Museum (3500 Sarno Road) in Melbourne.

Tickets are limited and available now for $125 per individual or $200 per couple.

Admission includes drinks, appetizers, entry to the museum, and an opportunity to learn more about the work being done by New Life Mission.

Since 2009, New Life Mission has equipped homeless mothers with the skills and knowledge to transform their families in a Christ-centered environment. Through education, accountability, and goal advancement, our organization empowers families to become self-sufficient.

Click here to learn more and to buy tickets. Space is limited, please RSVP by Tuesday, October 1st to secure your ticket.

Melbourne Police Department Ribbon Cutting and Open House

The Melbourne Police Department will celebrate the opening of the City’s modern new police station on Thursday, October 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The building will be named the Joseph Pellicano Law Enforcement Center, in honor of Officer Joseph Pellicano who was tragically killed in the line of duty.

Officer Pellicano’s “End of Watch” was October 17, 1986, when he was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at a house fire on Sarno Road. Officer Pellicano had worked at the Melbourne Police Department as a Patrol Officer for 3 ½ years at the time of his death.

This event will be free of charge and is open for all who would like to attend. The station is located at 250 West Nasa Boulevard in Melbourne near the Melbourne Airport.

Contact Information

Melbourne Office 

900 East Strawbridge Avenue

Melbourne, FL 32901

(321) 409-2025

Tallahassee Office

400 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5019

Staff:

Yvette Campbell

Kelli Lane