City manager praises crews as storm recovery continues

With cleanup underway following Hurricane Isaias, Crestview City Manager Jessica Leavins is looking back at how the city prepared, responded during the storm and managed the first days of recovery.

Keeping water and sewer services operating through power outages was one of the biggest challenges the city faced. As crews assess building damage and collect debris, Leavins says she is proud of the employees who worked through the storm and the aftermath.

“Between Public Works and Public Safety, they did an amazing job getting ready for the storm.”

Leavins also credited the city’s communication team for their work during the hurricane and afterward. For the utility workers, the response meant moving generators between sewer lift stations and pumping out stations to keep the wastewater from accumulating.

Florida Power & Light (FPL) handles electric service, but the city needs electricity to run water wells and lift stations. Leavins says the city did not have a generator for each station, and that required the employees to rotate the equipment they had in service.

One lift station caused some concern, but she said crews were able to address the problem and keep the others at appropriate levels.

“They did a great job rotating generators, getting things pumped out, doing all those things. And it’s a relatively small team.”

The utility team has fewer than 20 employees, while the public works department has about 50, including workers who are responsible for streets and facility maintenance.

While utility employees kept the systems operating, other crews were working to remove trees from roads.

Leavins says she was out around 1 a.m. after the storm and saw the crews already working. Later that morning, major routes were clear enough for employees to get home when they were sent home to get some rest.

The city’s police officers and firefighters were also out checking on conditions. Leavins says that their services, as well as the utilities, streets and sewers, can sometimes get overlooked.

“Stormwater not being taken care of gets water into your house. You know, those are major, major factors during a storm.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the city had completed its initial assessment and cleared a large number of roads. Water wells and lift stations had returned to regular power just a few hours earlier, which ended the need for generators.

Residential storm debris collection is also underway, and Leavins expects collection to continue for at least a week.

Residents should place storm debris in the right of way, about 6 feet from their mailboxes, fire hydrants, utility boxes or other objects. Construction debris, including damaged fencing, should be separated from tree limbs and other material.

Leavins says bagged leaves will not be collected with storm debris and should be placed near residents’ trash cans instead.

“As you drive through town, you can see everybody’s placing their storm debris in the right of way ready for collection.”

The city is still determining the financial impact of the storm. Some facilities were damaged, including historic buildings that Leavins says can be more expensive to repair because of how they were built.

The city does have reserves, contingency funds and insurance to help address losses. For now, Leavins says helping homeowners is the city’s top priority.

“Right now, our primary focus is making sure that homeowners have all the resources available to them.”

Churches and volunteer groups have also been helping with recovery efforts. Leavins pointed to the Georgia Baptist Mission’s Disaster Relief Team helping property owners remove downed trees on their property. She also gave credit to churches, including the GLO Church and Hope City, for providing meals to line workers.

“I have definitely been overwhelmed by the community’s response and kindness through out the recovery process.”

The experience will also help with the city’s preparation for the next storm. City officials will review the disaster plan and prepare an after-action report that identifies any needed changes.

Leavins says that includes reviewing cooperation with FPL. Gulf Power was the provider the last time the city went through a storm of this magnitude, and officials now have a better understanding of how FPL works.

The city will also look at ways to prevent water intrusion in its buildings, especially the older facilities.

Leavins says she is a lifelong Floridian and has experienced several hurricanes but says the storm did reinforce the need to prepare for weather conditions and changes.

“It doesn’t matter what the weather says. You should always be prepared, and you should always be prepared for it to change.”

As the recovery effort continues, she encourages residents to support small businesses in the Crestview area when they are making purchases.

She also said the response reminded her how much the smaller acts of help and kindness matter during a difficult time.

“Even if it’s just giving a lineman a meal or helping your neighbor, those things go a long way in stressful times.

Residents who still need help recovering from the hurricane can visit the Multi-Agency Resource Center located at the Crestview Community Center at 1446 Commerce Drive. The center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 24.

Residents can ask important questions, get help with paperwork and meet with various agencies that are providing assistance following the storm.