Latest on Idalia: updates, resources, evacuations and school closures

FLORIDA (WJHG/WECP) - UPDATE: 11:04 a.m. Wed. Aug. 30- Gulf County Schools will reopen on Thurs. Aug. 31.

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Gulf, Franklin, Liberty and Calhoun County schools will be closed on Wednesday (8/30). The Gulf Coast State College Campus is closed on Wednesday. Classes will continue at the other Gulf Coast State College campuses.

Bay County: Update Tues. at 1 p.m.: Bay District Schools (BDS) announced Tues. Aug. 29 that they have canceled the Middle School Jamboree scheduled for Tues. evening at Joe and Jeannette Chapman Field at Tommy Oliver Stadium.

Gulf County: The Gulf County Courthouse will close at 3 p.m. ET Tues and will also be closed Wed. Aug. 30. The Clerk’s Court Division/Office will remain open.

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Gulf County has officially issued a mandatory evacuation for all visitors in Indian Pass, Cape San Blas, & Simmons Bayou.

Officials say all Gulf County beaches are now closed.

UPDATE: Tues. at 11:11 a.m. Florida State University Panama City is open and classes are meeting on normal schedules on Tues., Aug. 29, according to its Facebook page.

FSU Tallahassee will close at noon (EDT) on Tues. Aug. 29 and expects to reopen on a regular class schedule Thursday, Aug. 31.

Continue to check alerts.fsu.edu or call the FSU PC Emergency Line at (850) 770-2000 for future updates.

UPDATE Tues. at 10:48 a.m. All Calhoun County Schools will be closed on Wed. Aug. 30.

Gulf County Emergency Managment posted on its Facebook page that Oak Grove is included in the Mandatory Recreational Vehicle Evacuations issued by Gulf County

UPDATE Tues. at 10:15 a.m.: All Liberty County Schools will be closed Wed. Aug. 30.

UPDATE Tues. at 6:30 a.m. Franklin County now has a mandatory evacuation for areas including barrier islands, mobile homes and low-lying areas.

School Closures: Gulf and Franklin County Schools are closed Tuesday and Wednesday (August 29th and 30th)

Gulf Coast State College Gulf/Franklin campus will close on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. EST and will remain closed on Wednesday, August 30th. College operations at all other Gulf Coast State College campuses (Panama City, North Bay, and Tyndall Education Center) will remain on normal operating business hours until further notice. Any students or employees who live in Gulf or Franklin who travel to other GCSC campuses are asked to be weather aware and contact professors or supervisors if it’s not safe to travel.

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As of Monday afternoon, officials with the CareerSource Gulf Coast office in Apalachicola have announced they will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29-30, due to the projected path of Idalia.

Normal business hours are expected to resume on Thursday, Aug. 31.

All other locations will be unaffected. In the meantime, the public can contact CareerSource Gulf Coast by phone at 850-872-4340.

In a Facebook post, Superintendent Steve Lanier sent out a letter announcing Franklin County Schools will be closed on Aug. 29-30.

They will plan to reopen on Aug. 31.

As we learn more about the developing Idalia, we’ll continue to update you with the latest warnings, updates, and resources available around the state.

In Bay County, emergency services have opened a sandbagging location. As of Monday morning, Bay County is not under storm watch or warning, but encourages residents to be diligent should conditions change.

Sand is available for bagging at:

Deer Point Dam, NW side of County Road 2321
Pete Edwards Field, 7300 McElvey Road, Panama City Beach

Gulf County’s emergency management has also provided sand and bags at the following locations:

Knowles Avenue (outside the public works gate)
Indian Pass boat ramp

In Franklin County, emergency management services have provided sandbags and sand in the following locations:

The Old State Yard - 1090 Bluff Rd, Apalachicola, FL
Vrooman Park - 628 HWY 98, Eastpoint, FL
Old Courthouse Annex - 1647 HWY 98, Carrabelle, FL

NOAA also issued a recent update on Monday morning on the latest conditions they’re aware of. We’ll continue to update with the latest information as it becomes available.

The National Weather Service Tallahassee also issued an advisory around 11:00 a.m.