![This Crestview Police Department photo shows the lines of drivers getting gas early Oct. 9 iat the CEFCO station on North State Road 85 in Crestview. [SPECIAL TO THE NEWS BULLETIN]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-77ce111b-bd05-6106-e053-0100007f17af-1229d71e.jpeg)
• Okaloosa County has declared a state of emergency and ordered everyone who lives south of State Road 98 to evacuate. Expect heavy traffic to reach Crestview later today and tomorrow morning. When wind speeds exceed 39 mph (63 kmh), all bridges will be closed by the Florida Department of Transportation. There will be no advance warning, so south county residents are encouraged to evacuate as soon as possible.
CPD OPERATIONS
• The Crestview Police Department has doubled its usual patrol force as of 6 a.m. and is responding to calls for service as usual.
• Beginning at 6 p.m. this evening, all patrol and Dispatch Center shifts will go on 12-hour rotations. All police officers and communications officers will be activated.
SANDBAGS, SHELTERS
• Free sand and sandbags are available at the Okaloosa County Public Works yard at the corner of State Road 85 and Godwin Avenue. Residents must fill the sandbags themselves.
• As of 8 p.m. last evening, Davidson Middle School was opened as a pet-friendly county evacuation center. It is also a designated evacuation center for people with special needs.
EMERGENCY SERVICES, GAS, SUPPLIES
• The Crestview Police Department's Facebook page and Messenger are being monitored continuously. Dial 911 for emergency services. Calls for non-emergency services may be made to the CPD Dispatch Center, 682-2055.
• The 10 a.m. National Hurricane Center forecast shows Hurricane Michael continues a slight easterly shift, with landfall predicted around 1 p.m. tomorrow in the area of Apalachicola. The easterly shift places Crestview on the western fringes of the cone, but not out of danger of storm winds and rains.
• Residents who choose not to leave the area should have their storm preparations complete, with vehicles gassed up, food supplies laid in, and their homes ready for the storm. When the winds and rains begin tomorrow, refrain from unnecessary travel, leaving roads cleared for emergency vehicles.
• As of earlier today, gas was still available at most Crestview area gas stations, though the Tom Thumb at Valley Road was reported to be out of gas. Lines at other gas stations are moderate. Should long queues form, be sure to remove your vehicle completely from the travel lanes of adjacent roadways so the flow of traffic is not impeded.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Police provide Hurricane Michael update