PALM BEACH COUNTY — A 4 p.m. on Aug. 29, Palm Beach County announced that they are currently monitoring the track of Hurricane Dorian and is in the process of implementing their comprehensive emergency management plan. County staff and their partners are putting plans into motion and doing everything possible to protect the lives and property of county residents. Please monitor www.pbcgov.com or your preferred media outlet for the latest information.

The State EOC is currently at a level 2 activation. The Palm Beach County EOC escalated to Level 3 on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and anticipates going to a Level 2.

Palm Beach County and the State of Florida have declared a state of Emergency.

All residents should actively monitor Hurricane Dorian over the next 24 hours and consider the timing for implementing any protective actions. Residents should have food and water to last 5-7 days and prescriptions should be filled as soon as possible.

As the storm gets closer they will make a decision on the opening of shelters if needed, which will include the Special Needs Shelter and the Pet Friendly Shelter.

Evacuations are dependent on storm surge, not wind speeds and will be determined based on the dangers to the coast and to areas around Lake Okeechobee. Residents living in areas away from the coast and lake do not need to evacuate. Please go to www.pbcgov.com or ReadyPBC.com to identify your zone. You can also download the PBC DART app which has all the latest information on evacuation zones, shelters and other important information.

If evacuations are ordered, residents should consider evacuating miles, not hundreds of miles. Those who are not in evacuation zones should shelter in place.