Dear Sisters and Brothers:
As of 4:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, October 9, Hurricane Isaias was a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, located about 90 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, and moving north at 17 mph. The National Hurricane Center reported that conditions were deteriorating quickly and urged residents in warning areas to seek safe shelter. Landfall is expected along the northern Gulf Coast this evening, followed by weakening as the storm moves inland on Saturday.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida, with Tropical Storm Warnings extending into southeastern Louisiana and Florida’s Big Bend. A Storm Surge Warning covers the coast from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River. Members across the central Gulf Coast and inland Southeast should prepare for destructive winds, tornadoes, flash flooding, extended power and communications outages, and dangerous travel. FEMA advises that 3 to 7 inches of rain may fall in parts of the region, with isolated totals up to 10 inches; rivers and streams may continue rising after the heaviest rain ends.
Follow all evacuation or shelter-in-place orders, keep emergency alerts enabled, and rely on the National Hurricane Center, local National Weather Service offices, and local emergency managers for updates. Do not drive through flooded roads or around barricades, and keep essential medicines, documents, chargers, water, and other supplies accessible. No member should face this crisis alone. Our union’s strength is the solidarity we show one another, especially when members and their families are in harm’s way. When it is safe, check on coworkers in affected communities, share verified information, and notify your local representatives if you need assistance. IAM Disaster Relief resources are available at https://www.goiam.org/disaster-relief-guides/.
District 142 EAP is available to members and their families at https://atd142.org/eap/. You may also contact EAP Director Paul Shultz at (704) 907-3563, pshultz@iamdl142.org, or pm.shultz@att.net. Please stay safe, remain connected, and look out for one another.
Sincerely and fraternally,
District 142 Executive Board
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