Hardee County Board of County Commissioners
The Board of County Commissioners serves as the executive and administrative authority for the county.
Building a Sustainable Hardee County
Hardee County Board of County Commissioners
The Board of County Commissioners serves as the executive and administrative authority for the county.
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Resources
State of Emergency Declaration
Resolution 2023-22 (City of Wauchula )
Resolution 2023-04 (City of Bowling Green )
Resolution 2023-04 (Town of Zolfo Springs )
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Hardee County continues to encourage residents to monitor local forecasts as well as the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service. Forecasters are calling for rapid intensification as the storm passes to the north of Hardee County, and even after the storm passes, conditions will demand that residents use common sense and caution.
Local State of Emergency
Hardee County is included in the Governor’s Executive Order 23-171 and the Hardee County Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution 2023-61 declaring a Local State of Emergency (LSE ) on Monday, August 28, 2023, during their Special Meeting held at 5:30pm.
Emergency Management Activation
The Hardee County Emergency Operations Center (EOC ) continues to operate at a Level 1 activation, holding regularly scheduled briefings with partners, such as the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service, as well as local EOC partners. Following the Continuity of Operations Plan, the Emergency Operations Center has relocated to ensure the safety of employees and partnering agencies.
Local Government Office Closures
Hardee County Government will ensure as few people as possible travel during storm conditions. Employees at the Emergency Operations Center and in departments that are necessary will be working.
- Hardee County Board of County Commissioners will be closed Wednesday, August 30th for normal operations. Staff will be responding to and recovering from the storm. This includes all county facilities and parks.
- Hardee County Courthouse will be closed Wednesday, August 30th.
- Hardee County School District will be closed for students Tuesday, August 29th and Wednesday, August 30th.
- City of Wauchula closed Tuesday, August 29th at 3:00pm and will reopen when weather permits. Staff will be responding to and recovering from the storm.
- City of Bowling Green closed Tuesday, August 29th at 2:30pm and will reopen on Thursday, August 31st. Staff will be responding to and recovering from the storm.
- Town of Zolfo closed Tuesday, August 29th at 2:00pm and will reopen on Thursday, August 31st. Staff will be responding to and recovering from the storm.
On Wednesday, August 30th the following offices will be closed and anticipate opening Thursday, August 31st:
- Hardee County Tax Collector
- Hardee County Property Appraiser
- Hardee County Supervisor of Elections
Additional updates on all Government offices reopening will be provided as information is obtained.
Health Services
Wauchula Family Medicine and Wauchula Prompt Care will close Tuesday, August 29th at 3:00pm and resume business on Wednesday, August 30th at 12:00pm.
Solid Waste
Solid waste services for all Municipalities and County locations are as follows:
- City of Wauchula - Wednesday, August 30th trash pick-up was moved to Tuesday, August 29th
They will resume their regular schedule on Thursday, August 31st - City of Bowling Green - All routes will continue as scheduled
- Hardee County Disposal - Will complete their regular curbside trash collection for the Zolfo route Wednesday, August 30th
Hardee County Landfill o Hours for Wednesday, August 30th will be 10am-5pm, weather permitting
Reminders
Emergency Response Services
Public services such as Fire/EMS, Public Works, Utilites, and Law Enforcement may be delayed during the storm for the safety of those employees. They will respond to emergencies as weather permits.
Bridge closures
- Center Hill Road, off State road 62
- North Hollandtown Road, off East Main Street
No road closures at this time
Traveling tonight is not advised. It will be more difficult to see areas of standing water and motorists should make every effort to stay home.
Shelters
General Population
Hardee Junior High School
2405 US HWY 17N
Wauchula, FL 33873
Pet-Friendly
Bowling Green Elementary
4530 Church Avenue
Bowling Green, FL 33834
Special Needs
South Florida State College
2968 US HWY 17N
Bowling Green, FL 33834
Volunteers and Donations
- Volunteers are on standby and will be notified via text and social media if needed. Agencies that need volunteers can request assistance from Jamie Samuels, Emergency Support at 863-245-1587 or Hazel Hastwell, at 863-773-6373.
- Agencies & Nonprofits should track volunteer hours and submit to Jamie Samuels via electronic version smm@sendmemissions.com.
- Resource Distribution by nonprofits and individuals should be coordinated through Jamie Samuels or Hazel Hastwell, for appropriate approvals.
- Donations are not being accepted at this time.
What’s Next
Hardee County EOC will continue to monitor throughout the evening.
The EOC is staffed with county employees and local partners who are well positioned to implement any response activities needed throughout the duration of the storm.
Hardee County is committed to providing the community regular updates.
Hurricane Ian Resources
Resources for Hardee County Residents
You can Help
By visiting https://redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or texting the word IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.
Public Information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardeeEOC
Disaster Distress Hotline: 1-800-985-5990 OR https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline
Legal Services Helpline: 888-582-3410: LegalServer - Smarter Case Management Software for Civil Legal Aid and Public Defenders
Sail: 1-800-342-3557
Donate: http://volunteerflorida.org
Volunteer: http://volunteerflorida.org
Hardee County Info Page - https://www.hardeecountyfl.gov/
EOC Hotline: 863-773-6373
DisasterAssistance.gov: 1-800-621-3362
Now accepting Advisory Board Applications for County Boards.
For more information, please contact Danielle DeLeon, Office Manager via phone (863-773-9430 ) or email (bcc@hardeecounty.net ) .