Shelters

[Guest Dwight C]

Shelters

Bay County Emergency Management and the American Red Cross will consolidate the three emergency
shelters still in operation at Bozeman Learning Center, Breakfast Point Academy, and Surfside Middle
School into a single location at Arnold High School beginning Tuesday, Oct. 30.
The new, temporary shelter location will be in place as local and state officials continue to work with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) toward a longer-term solution to Bay County’s housing
crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.
Red Cross teams will oversee the dormitory section of the shelter, offering a welcoming environment for
all residents, including parents, caregivers and people with access or functional needs. They will also
work in conjunction with community and government partners to start creating community recovery
plans. Trained caseworkers have begun to provide personal support to survivors.
Currently, approximately 826 evacuees remain in the shelters. Crews continue working to prepare
Arnold High School for the relocation, with the first group of evacuees arriving from Bozeman on
Tuesday and the remainder from the beach schools throughout the day on Wednesday. The new shelter
will have climate-controlled accommodations for pets, as well as medical, postal services, social services,
transportation, and recreational facilities. 
The shelters will continue to accept any person in Bay County in need of assistance. For more
information about when schools will open, please visit Bay District Schools’ at www.bay.k12.fl.us.