Brevard emergency leaders monitoring tropical wave

Residents asked to be prepared, pay attention

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The uncertainty of what impact the tropical wave will have this weekend on Central Florida's coast is prompting emergency leaders to ask the public to pay attention and be ready, just in case.

"Just be cautious," said Brevard County Ocean Rescue Chief Eisen Witcher.

"Stay watchful, just be prepared," said Don Walker with Brevard County Emergency Management.

Emergency Management says their workers are standing by if need be.

"We're doing what everybody else is doing. We're monitoring. We're keeping an eye on it," said Walker.
Keeping an eye on the water, Ocean Rescue this weekend will be all hands on deck.

"There's a certain level of danger that comes into play," said Witcher. "Right now, we're looking at probably 1- to 3-foot surf, with upwards of probably four feet."

The threat of rain also brings more concerns about Zika.

Gov. Rick Scott this week broke news of a 43rd non-travel case of Zika in Florida.

In a statement provided to News 6 Thursday, the governor wrote, "We must continue to dump standing water since we are also working to combat the Zika virus."

In an office that's always either counting down to the end or counting to the start of hurricane season, emergency leaders stress that any storm no matter how big or small it may appear can ultimately be life-threatening.

"That's one of the concerns that because we haven't had a hurricane since 2005 that there's a lot of complacency out there," said Walker. "In South Louisiana right now, the residents are suffering the aftermath of a no-name storm. So you just can't prepare enough for something like this cause you never know."
Walker suggests a four-part plan for your home:  know your risks, make a plan, build a kit and stay informed.
 


About the Author:

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.