Gulf Shores Storm Crews and Emergency Manager Brandan Franklin Thanked for Isaias Response

GULF SHORES, Ala. — The City of Gulf Shores has publicly thanked the Public Works and Public Safety employees who worked through Hurricane Isaias, saying their long hours before, during and after the storm were essential to keeping residents and visitors safe when Isaias swept across the coast Oct. 9 and 10. In a message released Monday, Oct. 12, the city also gave special credit to Emergency Management Coordinator Brandan Franklin for guiding Gulf Shores storm crews and city leaders through every phase of the event.

The message was a short note of gratitude, but it captured how a coastal city of roughly 15,000 permanent residents, and many more visitors in a typical October week, gets through a hurricane: dozens of employees working long shifts in the days before landfall, riding out the storm on duty and heading back out as soon as conditions allow to clear streets and inspect damage.

‘Unwavering commitment’ from Public Works and Public Safety

The city said its Public Works and Public Safety crews showed dedication and an unwavering commitment to protecting the community throughout the storm’s impacts. Public Works employees are typically the ones who clear fallen trees and debris from roads, secure city facilities and check drainage systems, while police officers, firefighters and other public safety personnel enforce curfews, respond to emergencies and patrol neighborhoods while most residents shelter in place.

City officials also pointed to cooperation across every department. Planning and logistics, communications work and on-the-ground operations each played a part in preparing for the storm and supporting recovery, the city said, calling the unified response a reflection of the strength, resilience and professionalism that define the organization.

Credit for the city’s emergency manager

The city reserved its most specific praise for Franklin, its emergency management coordinator. According to the city, his steady guidance, thorough planning and timely updates gave city leaders and response teams the information and coordination they needed to navigate each phase of the event.

Municipal emergency managers like Franklin serve as the connective tissue between a city government and the larger emergency response system. Before a storm, that work generally includes tracking forecasts from the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service, coordinating with county and state emergency management agencies, and helping elected officials decide when to close facilities, impose curfews or recommend evacuations. During and after a storm, the job shifts to tracking damage reports, setting priorities for limited crews and equipment, and keeping department heads working from the same set of facts.

In Baldwin County, that coordination runs through the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, which works with each municipality, and through the Alabama Emergency Management Agency at the state level.

How Isaias played out in Gulf Shores

The thank-you note followed a hectic week for the beach city. The steps Gulf Shores and state officials took as Isaias approached included:

• A state of emergency: Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 Alabama counties, including Baldwin, on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
• A visitor evacuation: On Thursday, Oct. 8, at the request of local officials, Ivey ordered tourists and other nonresidents in Baldwin County south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, including all of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, to leave.
• Bridge closures: The W.C. Holmes Bridge on Alabama 59 and the Alabama 161 bridge, the only roads on and off Pleasure Island, closed at noon Friday, Oct. 9.
• A curfew: Gulf Shores imposed a citywide curfew from 7 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and asked residents to finish all travel and be at their shelter location before the deadline.
• Closures and cancellations: Gulf Shores International Airport shut down at noon Friday, and the National Shrimp Festival was canceled as the storm took aim at the coast.

Isaias came ashore near Destin, Fla., at about 8:30 p.m. Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. That landfall point, well east of Mobile Bay, put Gulf Shores on the storm’s western side and spared the city the kind of direct blow it took from Hurricane Sally, which made landfall at Gulf Shores in September 2020.

By 8 a.m. Saturday, the bridges had reopened and the curfew had ended. Later that day, Ivey lifted the evacuation order, and on Sunday, Oct. 11, tourism officials announced that visitors could return to the beaches.

Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said over the weekend that many businesses reopened the day after the storm. “For there to be such little damage and many of our businesses already back open the day after this storm, we are thankful, just very thankful with the outcome for our city and the entire destination,” Craft said.

Not everything reopened right away. Gulf State Park, which stretches along the beach between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, remained closed until further notice on Saturday while staff completed safety assessments, and double red flags kept swimmers out of the Gulf through the weekend because of dangerous rip currents.

Thoughts for harder-hit communities

The city closed its message by acknowledging that recovery is far from finished elsewhere. Gulf Shores said its thoughts remain with all communities affected by Isaias and offered its support as the region works toward full restoration.

That recovery is uneven. Inland Escambia County, Ala., and its county seat of Brewton took some of the worst damage in the state, along with neighboring Conecuh and Monroe counties, where downed trees and broken poles left thousands of customers without power days after the storm. In Florida, Escambia County and other Panhandle communities east of the Alabama line also suffered serious damage, and state officials confirmed storm-related deaths in both Alabama and Florida over the weekend.

What Gulf Shores residents should keep in mind

Even in a city that escaped major damage, the days after a hurricane carry their own risks. Standard post-storm guidance from emergency managers applies to anyone still cleaning up:

• Treat downed lines as live. Stay away from any fallen power line and report it to the utility or 911.
• Run generators outdoors only. Keep them well away from doors, windows and vents to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Check the beach flags. Rip currents can linger for days after a storm, even under clear skies.
• Be wary of unsolicited repair offers. The Better Business Bureau and state officials warn that storm-chasing contractors and scammers often follow hurricanes. Verify licenses, get written estimates and never pay in full up front.
• Follow official channels. The City of Gulf Shores and Baldwin County EMA post updates on road conditions, debris and city services.

For the employees the city thanked on Monday, the work is not quite done. Debris pickup, facility inspections and the return of normal city services typically continue for days or weeks after a storm, even one that left as little damage as Isaias did in Gulf Shores.