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Tropical Storm Fred Causes Minimal Damage In Franklin County

A screenshot from a video shot during Tropical Storm Fred in Alligator Point captures the main access road getting washed out by Tropical Storm Fred on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Brian Emfinger
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YouTube - Brian Emfinger
A screenshot from a video shot during Tropical Storm Fred in Alligator Point captures the main access road getting washed out by Tropical Storm Fred on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.

A dirt road that provides the only access to Alligator Point washed out again during Tropical Storm Fred, along with reports downed trees and power lines.

A dirt road that provides the only access to Alligator Point washed out again during Tropical Storm Fred.

"It's been fixed," said Franklin County Sheriff Tony Smith. "They filled the dirt in where it was washed away."

Other than that, the county received minimal damage from Fred after making landfall in nearby Cape San Blas on Monday.

Tropical Storm Fred made landfall just south of Mexico Beach, which was decimated by Hurricane Michael in 2017.

Smith says he observed some downed trees and power lines and received calls about roof damage while patrolling the county during and after the storm.

Most residents followed deputies orders to stay out of the water before the storm and off the roads as it moved across the county. He says that ultimately saved lives.

“When people follow the advice of their elected officials like the sheriff and the county and they adhere to that stuff, it pays dividends.”

The access road to Alligator Point — Alligator Drive — was paved before Hurricane Michael, but regularly washes out during hurricanes and tropical storms, Smith said.

"That part of Alligator Drive has been washing out for years."
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Valerie Crowder is a freelance reporter based in Panama City, Florida. Before moving to Florida, she covered politics and education for Public Radio East in New Bern, North Carolina. While at PRE, she was also a fill-in host during All Things Considered. She got her start in public radio at WAER-FM in Syracuse, New York, where she was a part-time reporter, assistant producer and host. She has a B.A. in newspaper online journalism and political science from Syracuse University. When she’s not reporting the news, she enjoys reading classic fiction and thrillers, hiking with members of the Florida Trail Association and doing yoga.
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