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Essential Information
- Hurricane Michael is projected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm between Destin and Apalachicola.
- Possible sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected throughout the county, beginning in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
- Plan to postpone any unnecessary driving during this time since these winds will make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Residents are strongly encouraged to stay off the roads starting at 3 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10. Bridge closures are highly likely.
- Winds may damage trees and power lines, and small unsecured objects may be blown around.
- Residents living in mobile homes should consider staying with friends, family or at one of the two opened shelters.
- The Citizen Information Line is open 24 hours until further notice. Residents with questions may call 850-471-6600.
- Residents are urged to monitor our local media for the most up-to-date information several times throughout the day.
- Escambia County issued an evacuation order for Zone A as of noon today, Tuesday, Oct. 9. Zone A includes Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and low-lying areas. Visit myescambia.com/knowyourzone to look up your evacuation zone.
- Everyone in the Hurricane Warning area along the Florida Gulf Coast should prepare for life-threatening major hurricane winds associated with the core of Michael. Hurricane-force winds will also extend well inland across portions of the Florida Panhandle.
Forecast Weather Impacts for Escambia County
- Winds – Possible sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph throughout the county. Tropical storm force winds are currently forecast to begin in the early morning hours and continue through late Wednesday afternoon.
- Storm Surge – 2 to 4 feet
- Rain – 1.5 inches over the next five days
- A high risk of rip currents and high surf advisory are in effect for the northern Gulf Coast through at least Thursday. Red flags are flying on Pensacola Beach and are expected through Thursday. Red flags represent high surf and/or dangerous currents, and there is no swimming or wading in the Gulf of Mexico in red flag conditions. Surf heights are expected to increase to 10-15 feet Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Evacuations
Shelters
The following shelters are open:
- General Population & Special Needs Shelters - Current Population: 20
Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St.
- Pet-friendly Shelter - Current Population: 3 people, 1 pet
Molino Elementary School, 899 Highway 97. Please bring the pet's food, water, medications, familiar items like toys or treats, crate or leash, collar, and proof of vaccinations. You must stay at the shelter with your pet. All pets without proof of vaccination will be vaccinated on site.
- Horse Shelter - Current Population: 46
Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway: Horses only. All horses must have a current Coggins test certificate. For more information, contact the Equestrian Center at 850-941-6042.
If you go to a shelter, you will need to take the following items to support you and your family:
- A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes
- Toiletries and personal items
- Blankets or sleeping bags and pillows
- ID and any important papers
- Games, toys or books for children
- Books for adults
- Special items for infants or elderly family members
- Any special dietary needs and nonperishable foods for snacks
- Battery-operated radio, flashlights and plenty of spare batteries
- Prescription medications or any over-the-counter medications you normally take
County Actions
- Escambia County Emergency Management is closely monitoring Hurricane Michael. The Emergency Operations Center is activated at a level 2, or partial activation.
- The Escambia County Commission has declared a local state of emergency. Declaring a local state of emergency is a preemptive step that allows the county to make formal requests to the state and FEMA for assistance as needed if impacted by Hurricane Michael.
- The tolls on the Bobs Sikes Bridge have been lifted by the governor until further notice.
Schools, Colleges & Universities
- Escambia County Schools will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. All extracurricular activities are canceled.
- All UWF locations will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. The University is expected to resume classes and normal business operations at 7:59 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11. All essential personnel are asked to report to work.
- All Pensacola State College campuses and centers will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. This closure includes all classes, evening classes, school activities, and online classes. At the present time, PSC is scheduled to resume normal operational hours on Thursday, Oct. 11.
- Pensacola Christian Academy will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10 due to Hurricane Michael. This includes all classes, events, and campus activities.
- Pensacola Christian College will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. This closure includes all classes, evening classes, school activities, and online classes.
Trash Service
- ECUA Residential and Commercial sanitation services in Escambia County are canceled for Wednesday, Oct. 10. Wednesday’s collections will be made on Thursday, Thursday’s collections will be made on Friday, and Friday’s collections will be made on Saturday. Updates will be posted to the ECUA website and released to local media as necessary, should conditions change.
Closures
- All Escambia County offices will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. This includes all county departments, the Perdido Key Landfill and West Florida Public Libraries. ECAT will not run service Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- Santa Rosa Island Authority offices will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- The Pensacola International Airport will be closed and cease all operations starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 until further updates are provided. Please check directly with your airline regarding all flight information.
- All City of Pensacola administrative offices will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- Pensacola Energy’s Customer Service Center is closed until Thursday, Oct. 11. For natural gas emergencies, please call 474-5300.
- All offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- All offices of the Escambia County Tax Collector will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- First Judicial Circuit: The courts in Escambia County will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.
- The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. Pursuant to a directive by the Florida Secretary of State, the voter registration deadline for the Nov. 6 General Election in Escambia County will be extended until the day the office reopens.
- Port of Pensacola has been placed at Port Condition ZULU by the United States Coast Guard, Captain of the Port, Mobile Area. Under Condition ZULU, the port and all surrounding navigable waterways are closed to all vessel traffic and all port and vessel operations are suspended until further notice.
- All offices of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10. Escambia offices are scheduled to reopen on Thursday, Oct. 11 at their regular time.
- All Escambia clinics and other services provided by FDOH-Escambia, will be suspended from noon on Tuesday, Oct. 9 through Wednesday, Oct. 10. Clients with appointments scheduled during this period may call 850-595-6500 on Thursday, Oct. 11 to reschedule their appointment.
- ProMed Dental services at FDOH-Escambia’s Northside and Molino Service Centers will be suspended from noon on Tuesday, Oct. 9 through Wednesday, Oct. 10. Patients who have dental appointments with ProMed Dental may call 850-912-8923 or 850-471-6983 for rescheduling.
- Community Health Northwest Florida dental and pediatric medical services at FDOH-Escambia’s Fairfield Drive Service Center will be suspended from noon on Tuesday, Oct. 9, through Wednesday, Oct. 10. Patients who have appointments in the dental clinic may call 850-912-8880 to reschedule; Patients who have appointments in the pediatric medical clinic may call 850-941-7841 to reschedule.
- All persons are encouraged to follow FDOH-Escambia on Twitter @HealthyEscambia and to monitor EscambiaHealth.com and local news media for updated information on hours and services.
Cancellations
- The Eastside Redevelopment Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
- The Hats and Heels Senior Prom planned for Thursday, Oct. 11 at Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center has been postponed and a rescheduled date will be announced soon.
Military
- Naval Air Station Pensacola, Corry Station and Saufley Field curtailed normal operations and closed installations to all visitors and non-critical personnel at 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, Oct. 9 to include National Naval Aviation Museum, Lighthouse, Fort Barrancas, etc. NASP Child Development Center, Youth Center, Navy Exchange and Commissary closed today, Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. All facilities onboard the base will remain closed through Wednesday, Oct. 10. Pending significant changes in weather forecast, the base and all facilities will reopen and resume normal operations on Thursday, Oct. 11.
Sand Bags
Escambia County is offering sand for sand bags for residents living in flood-prone areas. The sand will be available and distributed on a first come, first served basis. Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels to one of the following locations (map):
- Baars Field Athletic Park - 13001 Sorrento Road
- Brent Athletic Park - 4711 N. W St.
- Don Sutton Park - 2320 Crabtree Church Road
- Equestrian Center - 7750 Mobile Highway
- Escambia County Road Department - 601 Highway 297-A
- Ferry Pass Middle School - 8355 Yancey Lane, sand will be on the northwest corner of school property on Parazine Street
- John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park - 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Travis M. Nelson Park - 4541 County Road 4
When laid properly, sand bags can be an effective tool for flooding from a rain event, but not for storm surge. For more information on how to make and use sandbags, visit the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (
www.flash.org). Sand bags can be purchased at most local hardware or home improvement stores, typically for a low cost.
Power Outages
- Please do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages. Gulf Power knows when your power is out. You can track outages on their outage map from your smartphone on the Gulf Power Outage Map or report power outages online here.
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative is monitoring Hurricane Michael closely and urges members to do the same. EREC activated its emergency response plan earlier this week, alerting employees and contract crews to be on standby in case of widespread outages. Power outages for Escambia River Cooperative, Inc. can be reported to 1-877-OUT-EREC or 1-877-688-3732. View the EREC Outage Map for updated power outage information. Never touch a fallen power line and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged.
Road Closures
In the event that standing water makes a road impassable or there are sustained winds (NOT gusts) of 39 mph making a bridge unsafe, the specific location will be announced as soon as it occurs. Online resources include:
- Check for Escambia County road closures 24/7 at www.myescambia.com/roadissuesmap.
- City of Pensacola road closures can be viewed here.
- For the latest closures and updates, travelers can access Florida's 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com.
Recreational Areas
- The Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier, Bob Sikes Bridge Fishing Pier and Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are closed.
- Gulf Islands National Seashore officials have closed all areas of the national seashore in Florida due to Hurricane Michael. All Florida areas, including the Fort Pickens campground, remain closed to all public access and use as of Tuesday, Oct. 9. Park status updates will be posted online at nps.gov/gulfislands and Facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS. Additionally, the national seashore operates a severe weather hotline 850-934-2656. Gulf Islands National Seashore will reopen after the storm has passed and the staff has an opportunity to mitigate.
- Blackwater Forestry Center: In anticipation of Hurricane Michael, the Florida Forest Service is shutting down its operations, offices, recreation and day-use areas in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties starting Tuesday, Oct. 9. The closure will last through close of business Thursday. All campgrounds, trails, swimming lakes, day-use areas and offices are included in this closure.