10/14/2026
Wednesday, October 14, 6 p.m. Find the full news release online at https://www.santarosa.fl.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/2217
Increased 911 Call Volume During and After Hurricane Isaias
The impact of Hurricane Isaias on our 911 center was significant. On the day Isaias made landfall, Oct. 9, our dispatchers handled 1,122 calls — more than three times the 332 calls received on the same day last year. The following day, call volume increased to 1,241 calls, compared to 459 the previous year. These numbers reflect the extraordinary demands placed on our emergency response system as residents faced the immediate impacts of the storm and began navigating the aftermath.
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Current Damage Assessment Numbers
As of Wednesday, October 14, over 80 structures are considered destroyed. Around 300 have major damage and over 600 have minor damage. Over 2,000 structures were affected. Assessments are ongoing.
Residents are asked to report property damage through the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser's website. Search for your property by either name or street address at https://srcpa.gov/search and use the "Report Damage" button found under the "Owner Information section on your parcel page. If searching by street address, use abbreviations: Dr for Drive, St for Street, Blvd for Boulevard, etc.
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Santa Rosa County Offices
- The Santa Rosa County Libraries remain closed this week. An update will be sent on the expected reopening at a later time.
- Santa Rosa County residents can dispose of vegetative debris at no cost at the Central Landfill, 6337 Da Lisa Road in Milton, Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Aviation Advisory Board meeting for Wednesday, October 21 has been canceled.
- The Civil Service Board hearing scheduled for Wednesday, October 28 has been continued to a later date.
- The Local Mitigation Strategy Committee Meeting for October 15 will be rescheduled to November.
- The Tax Collector's office will reopen on Thursday, October 15.
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Water Utilities with Boil Water Notice
The following water utility companies have a boil water notice in place for ALL customers:
City of Milton Water
Town of Jay
Bagdad Garcon Point Water
The following water utility companies do not have a boil water notice in place:
City of Gulf Breeze Water
Pace Water System
East Milton Water
Fair Point Water
Holley Navarre Water System
Navarre Beach Water
Moore Creek Mt Carmel Water
Point Baker Water
Midway Water
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Debris Monitoring
As part of Santa Rosa County's storm debris recovery operations, Tetra Tech is prioritizing hiring residents from Santa Rosa County and surrounding communities to serve as debris monitors. Approximately 250 local residents have been trained, with more than 100 currently working.
Additional applications are being processed as operations expand, with staffing expected to reach approximately 600 monitors. Tetra Tech provides training to prepare locally hired debris monitors to support storm debris removal operations. These temporary positions offer opportunities to earn up to $1,700 per week while contributing directly to the recovery of Santa Rosa County and surrounding communities.
Debris monitors play an important role in documenting debris removal activities, helping ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable requirements and supporting Santa Rosa County's recovery efforts. Hiring locally also brings valuable knowledge of the community to the operation.
Debris Pickup
The first pass of debris pickup began on Wednesday, October 14, on publicly maintained roads. There will be multiple passes for debris removal. Santa Rosa County has an estimated 1.5 million cubic yards. The estimated cost of removal is $23 million.
Residents should place storm-generated debris along the public right-of-way, generally the area between the street and the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole, or easement. Proper placement and separation of debris will help collection crews work safely and efficiently. There is no size restriction. Keep piles consolidated by debris types (vegetative and C&D) and take care not to let any piles spill over into the street.
Residents should follow these guidelines when preparing debris for collection:
- Separate debris by type. Place vegetative debris, such as tree limbs, branches, leaves, and shrubbery, in a separate pile from construction and demolition debris, such as damaged building materials like fencing and sheds. These materials will be collected separately.
- Do not bag storm debris in plastic bags. Only loose debris or debris in PAPER bags will be collected.
- Keep debris away from utilities and obstructions. Do not place debris near drainage ditches, storm drains, mailboxes, water meters, fire hydrants, low-hanging tree limbs, power lines, transformers, or other utilities. Keep roadways clear for emergency vehicles and other traffic.
- Leave remaining debris for subsequent collection passes. Only storm debris placed along the public right-of-way is currently eligible for collection. If debris is not removed during the initial pass, keep remaining materials properly separated and accessible for subsequent collection.
- Keep household garbage separate. Regular household garbage collection will continue according to schedules established by residential waste service providers. Household trash, including spoiled food, should be placed in regular garbage containers and never mixed with storm debris.
