Pat Maddox, Okaloosa County emergency management chief, told residents at a county preparedness presentation that personal planning and early evacuation are critical during hurricane season. "Know your evacuation routes," Maddox said, and he directed listeners to the county’s emergency management web resources for shelter locations and the special-needs registry.

Maddox said Okaloosa County covers more than 930 square miles of land and about 152 miles of barrier beaches, and that the county’s evacuation strategy is tailored to that geography and to a large seasonal population. "We know that we can evacuate the county complete in about 48 hours solid," Maddox said, adding that the county plans to phase evacuations by removing tourists and hotel guests first to speed traffic. He said officials often add another day to theoretical evacuation models because construction and traffic can slow evacuation flows.

The emergency operations center (EOC) uses a three-level activation system, Maddox said: level 3 is normal daily operations, level 2 is enhanced activation for command staff, and level 1 is full activation when the county requests widespread partner support. If a local state of emergency is declared, Maddox said, the EOC will staff up to cover 21 emergency support functions and bring in partners including fire departments, the military and utilities to coordinate response and public information.

Maddox warned residents that water is the deadliest hazard in tropical systems and urged obedience to evacuation guidance. "High from the wind, run from the water. Do not attempt to cross fast moving water," he said, explaining that roads can be washed out and appear passable while undermined.

For people with mobility or medical needs, Maddox and staff pointed to a special-needs registry maintained through the county and linked from the emergency-management website; County staff and the Florida Department of Health can coordinate transport and sheltering for people who register. Maddox also described the county’s plan to open shelters according to the estimated arrival of tropical-storm-force conditions and to avoid routing people into unsafe conditions during evacuations.

County public information processes were described as threefold during activations: the county website, social media, and feeds to local broadcast media. Maddox asked residents to sign up for local alert systems (Nixle/AlertOkaloosa) and follow official county and sheriff’s social channels for consolidated, vetted messaging during events.

The presentation closed with reminders to rehearse family plans annually, include pets and medication needs in planning, and use official county resources rather than unverified social-media forecasts.

Residents with specific access or medical needs were directed to the county emergency-management page and the special-needs registry for pre-storm planning and contact information.