With heavy rains expected to return over the holiday weekend, authorities in Polk County are urging residents in certain areas to voluntarily evacuate. This comes after last weekend's flooding and landslides that killed one person in the county, and authorities say they're worried should another catastrophic event occur, it might take them days to reach those affected.
In a press release sent Friday afternoon, Polk County's Emergency Management & Sheriff's Department recommended residents in the following areas voluntarily evacuate before expected heavy rains are expected Sunday -
- Highway 176 from North Wall Road to 3910 Hwy 176
- Warrior Drive from Baker Drive to Meadowlark Drive
- Meadowlark Drive and Intersecting Roads
- Walcot Farm Lane
- Miller Mountain Road
- Rixhaven Subdivision
- Green River Cove Road
- Holbert Cove Road
The county says the Red Cross will open a shelter for evacuees on Sunday at 5 p.m. It will be located at the Polk County Middle School at 321 Wolverine Trail in Spring Mill.
“Slow moving storms today and tomorrow can produce heavy rainfall with little or no warning. A tropical system is expected to arrive as early as Sunday bringing heavy rain and wind through mid-week,” said Bobby Arledge, Polk County Emergency Management Director in the press release. “The county has been surveyed by professional geologists and these storms will further destabilize areas that have experienced above average rainfall and potentially cause further landslides. A heightened level of concern exists for residents in and around areas that have already experienced land movement.”