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Flagler County emergency manager urges hurricane readiness and previews 10,000‑sq‑ft non‑school shelter plan
Summary
Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord told commissioners the county's top hurricane risk is water, not wind, and previewed a state‑funded 10,000‑square‑foot non‑school shelter and other preparedness steps ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.
Jonathan Lord, Flagler County’s emergency management director, told the Board of County Commissioners on Monday that the county’s biggest hurricane threat remains water — storm surge and heavy rainfall — and urged residents to prepare.
“Our big risk and concern is the water, not the wind in a hurricane,” Lord said in the annual hurricane season briefing, which covered accreditation, grant programs and outreach. He outlined the department’s recent scores in the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation program (debris category 60 of 60; a second category 59 of 60), and said the county has expanded public education and social‑media outreach, reaching thousands last fiscal year.
Lord also previewed design plans for a new non‑school emergency shelter to be built at the fairgrounds. The building would provide about 10,000 square feet of usable evacuee space plus roughly 5,000 square feet of support and storage areas and is being designed to 180‑mile‑per‑hour wind standards and to accommodate medical needs such as CPAP equipment. Lord said the county has secured state funding for shelter construction and related projects and is coordinating with general services and engineering on a fast‑track schedule.
The presentation included local emergency‑operations upgrades: a new radar installation funded by a state grant that will feed data to the National Weather Service, improvements to backup communications and a new debris contract negotiated in partnership with municipalities. Lord said the county continues to rely on mutual aid and partner agencies — including school district support for shelters and local nonprofit assistance for pet evacuation.
Commissioners asked about treatment methods for mosquito control and the cost differences between truck‑based and airborne treatments; Lord said only truck‑based treatments are currently affordable. He also encouraged residents to sign up for AlertFlagler, the county’s emergency notification system.
What happens next: Lord said the county will follow up with media briefings and an outreach schedule before and during the season to ensure neighborhoods understand neighborhood‑based evacuation zones and sheltering options.
