11-05-2025
State of emergency to be issued in Holmes County
HOLMES COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Thousands are without power and left cleaning up debris after a tornado swept through Holmes County on Saturday.
In a social media post, Sheriff Tate announced he has received confirmation from Senator Jay Trumbull and Representative Shane Abbott that Governor Ron DeSantis will be issuing a State of Emergency for the county.
This declaration will aid in cleanup efforts on private property and bring additional state resources to assist local crews in helping citizens recover from the damage.
Possible tornado sweeps through Holmes County causing widespread damage
County officials are meeting Sunday afternoon to finalize the plan of action.
News13 spoke with Holmes County Sheriff John Tate, who said there are dozens of trees down and a significant amount of structural damage.
Around 5:30 p.m Saturday, Tate said 18 structures have been identified as damaged so far. Tate said there have been no fatalities at this time, but a few residents suffered injuries.
Tate continues to say the Norma, Bethlehem, Esto, and Winterville areas were of Sunday morning, around 2500 are without power.
Sheriff Tate added that the best thing you can do is stay home and stay off the roadways if you can.
Holmes County officials ask the community to remain patient as linemen continue to work diligently in challenging weather to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
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