The Moore's house on St. George Island is a family heirloom.
"My daddy built this house in 1974," said John Moore. "We've held onto it for all these years."
The almost forty-year-old home has seen its fair share of storms.
"We haven't lost a shingle yet," said Moore.
As the uncertainties of Isaac start to settle in, so does the habitual nature of preparing for the inevitable.
"We just close up as much as we always have and put the loose things up," said Moore. "We've never boarded up windows, we've never covered them up, or nothing like that. We've just rode it out.
For these and other residents on St. George island and other areas in Franklin County the course they take is clear.
"I'd like to have a hurricane party," said Moore's girlfriend. "But, he wont let me stay. I have to go, so we are headed south."
"At 8 am in the morning we are going to do a mandatory county evacuation," said Tom Durham who is the public information officer for Franklin County EOC.
Durham says although they cannot force residents to leave, there is a danger that comes with staying behind.
"Wind speed continues to fifty miles per hour the bridges will close," said Durham. "So you are, for all intensive purposes, stuck.
"You're on your own after a certain point," said Moore.
Emergency services will not be able to reach those who stay back once bridges close. Residents who do decide to evacuate can find shelters in surrounding counties to accommodate them.
"We are encouraging people to go, but as you know, we can't make residents go," said Durham.
"This place has been around a long time," said Moore's girlfriend.
"So you think it's going to last?"
"I hope so," she said. "Because, we are coming back next weekend."
FRANKLIN COUNTY INFORMATION:
FRANKLIN COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
28 Airport Road
Apalachicola, Florida 32320
(850) 653-8977, Fax (850) 653-3643
em3frank@gtcom.net
Date: 08/26/2012
Mandatory Evacuation
Franklin County is issuing a mandatory evacuation orders for all barrier islands (including St. George and Dog ), Alligator Point, Bald Point, St Teresa, mobile homes and all low-lying areas subject to tidal, coastal and river flooding due to Hurricane Isaac. Current information is we could possible see Dennis like storm surge with 10-12 inches rain. We can expect tropical force winds to reach our coast by 4:00pm Monday afternoon. The track is still uncertain.
This order is effective Aug 27, 2012 starting at 8:00am
Pamela Brownell
Director
Therefore you should begin the necessary preparations.
NOTE: When wind speeds reach 50 mph, and the bridges are closed, neither EMS nor Law enforcement will be able to come to your aid.
FRANKLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS:
Franklin County schools WILL be open tomorrow, buses will run as scheduled. Schools will release at 1:15 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. Children who live in evacuation areas will have to be picked up by parents. Others will be bused home at 1:15.
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