Current Situation, 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15 (new information is highlighted below)
- On Monday, Sept. 14, Escambia County issued resolution R2020-124, declaring a state of local emergency due to imminent threat of Hurricane Sally.
- Escambia County Emergency Operation Center has been activated at a level 2 due to COVID-19 and activated for Hurricane Sally on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 a.m. We will continue to closely monitor the situation over the next 72 hours to provide our residents with the most up-to-date information.
- A voluntary hurricane evacuation was issued for Escambia County evacuation zone A on Monday, Sept. 14. This area includes Perdido Key, Innerarity Point, Pensacola Beach and other low lying areas. The Pensacola Bay Center will open at 8 p.m. tonight as a hurricane risk shelter. Please take this notice seriously. The storm could potentially shift more to the east. If you live in a mobile home or have special needs, you should consider evacuation no matter the zone in which you live.
- Public works crews are implementing their storm preparation protocol which includes fueling of equipment, stocking vehicles, placing employees on standby for after-hours road clearing, removing trash cans and lifeguard towers from Pensacola Beach, and checking drainage systems.
- County offices, including the Tax Collector's Office, Supervisor of Elections Office and all offices of Pam Childers, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller will also be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 16.
- The Perdido Landfill and Palafox Transfer Station will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 16.
- The Wednesday, Sept. 16 Board of Adjustment meeting is canceled.The Wednesday, Sept. 16 Development Review Committee meeting is canceled.
- The Escambia County BCC Public Forum at 8:30 a.m. and Regular Meeting at 9 a.m. will move from Thursday, Sept. 17 to Thursday, Sept. 24.
- Pensacola Beach Lifeguards are flying red flags on Pensacola Beach. The water is closed to swimming and wading.
- As a reminder, residents are encouraged to prepare their disaster kits now, which should include seven days of food and water supplies for after the storm arrives. Residents are also encouraged to fuel all vehicles and generators, and prepare all medications needed by family and pets. Individuals should also consider having at least two emergency supply kits, one full kit at home and smaller portable kits in their workplace, vehicle or other places they spend time. Remember, this year's disaster kit might need to look a little different if you must go to a shelter—make sure to include face coverings, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
With possible flooding forecast for our area, please do not drive into hazardous flood water and remember to Turn Around Don't Drown®. Follow these flood safety tips:
- Get to higher ground – Get out of areas subject to flooding.
- Do not drive into water – Do not drive or walk into flooded areas. It only takes 6" of water to knock you off your feet and 2 feet of water to carry away a vehicle.
- Stay informed – Monitor local radar, television, weather radio, internet or social media for updates.
Sand is still available at the following locations:
- Baars Field Athletic Park - 13001 Sorrento Road, Pensacola
- Brent Athletic Park - 4711 N. W St., Pensacola
- Don Sutton Park - 2320 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
- Equestrian Center - 7750 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
- Escambia County Road Department - 601 Highway 297-A, Pensacola
- Ferry Pass Middle School - 8355 Yancey Lane, Pensacola, sand will be on the northwest corner of school property on Parazine Street
- John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park - 555 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola
- Travis M. Nelson Park - 4541 County Road 4, Pensacola
- 12950 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola (behind the Sheriff's sub station)
The sand is available on a first come, first serve basis. Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels to one of the following locations. View map of sand locations here. (Map does not include new location on Gulf Beach Highway.)
Baptist Health Care
After reviewing the most current weather reports, Baptist is extending closures of outpatient services through Wednesday, Sept.16.
Please see details regarding Baptist Health Care facilities:
- Baptist, Gulf Breeze and Jay hospital inpatient services and emergency departments will remain open.
- Outpatient services at the hospitals will be closed, including: radiation and infusion therapies, wound care, physical rehabilitation, lab, retail pharmacy, elective surgery/procedures and imaging.
- The hospitals are not designated as community shelters.
- All Baptist Medical Group physician offices will be closed.
- Outpatient services at the following locations will be closed:
- Andrews Institute*
- Baptist Medical Park – Pace
- Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile*
- Baptist Medical Park – Airport
- Baptist Medical Park – Navarre
*(Including ambulatory surgery centers)
Plans are to reopen all services on Thursday, Sept. 17, but we will continue monitoring weather conditions to make those decisions.
City of Pensacola
The following City of Pensacola offices and facilities will be closed to the public Wednesday, Sept. 16 due to Hurricane Sally:
Sanitation Pickup Changes (Updated)
City of Pensacola Sanitation customers will also experience a change in their pickup schedule this week due to Hurricane Sally:
- City of Pensacola Sanitation Services will not operate on Tuesday, Sept. 15 or Wednesday, Sept. 16.
- Tuesday customers will receive service on Thursday, Sept. 17, weather permitting.
- Wednesday customers will receive service on Friday, Sept. 18, weather permitting.
- Thursday customers will receive service on Saturday, Sept. 19, weather permitting.
- There will not be any yard waste pickup or special collections of bulk waste items this week for City of Pensacola Sanitation customers.
City of Pensacola Meeting Updates
COVID-19 Testing Sites
- Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart – closed Wednesday, Sept 16
- FDOH-Escambia Downtown Center – closed Wednesday, Sept 16
- State-sponsored site at Publix (9th Avenue and Bayou Boulevard.) – closed Wednesday, Sept 16
- Community Health Northwest Florida – closed Wednesday, Sept 16
- Community Health Northwest Florida Cantonment Pediatrics – closed Wednesday, Sept. 16
- UWF – closed through Wednesday, Sept. 16
- View additional testing site information here.
Council on Aging of West Florida
- The Retreat adult day care will be closed through Wednesday, Sept. 16.
- Pre-packaged to-go meals distributed from churches and community centers in Escambia and Santa Rosa will cease operation Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16 and resume Thursday, Sept. 17.
- Meals on Wheels will also be suspended Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16. Individuals scheduled to receive meals on Tuesday or Wednesday will receive their meals on Thursday.
- To mitigate the risk caused by missed meal-delivery, many high-risk individuals were given shelf-stable, long-lasting meals at the start of hurricane season.
ECAT
- Due to Hurricane Sally, ECAT will not run service Sept. 15 or Sept. 16. UWF Trolley service will be suspended Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept.16.
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority
- Sanitation collections for ECUA customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa County for Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16 have been canceled following the announced closures of the Perdido and Central Landfills. Information on the resumption of collections will be posted after the re-opening of each landfill is determined by their respective county. Residents are encouraged to visit the ECUA website or local media sources for updates.
- All ECUA business offices will close at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 and will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 15 due to Hurricane Sally.
- The ECUA Citizens' Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15 has been rescheduled to Thursday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. More information here.
Escambia County River Electric
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative is monitoring Hurricane Sally closely and urges members to do the same. EREC activated its emergency response plan earlier this week, alerting employees to take necessary measures in preparation for the storm. Should our area sustain widespread outages, EREC has coordinated with our statewide association for additional crews to arrive and assist as soon as conditions are safe to do so.
View the EREC outage map via www.erec.com for up to date power outage information. Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s telephone number to report outages is 1-877-OUT-EREC or 1-877-688-3732.
Florida Division of Emergency Management
The River Flood Warning for the Escambia River near Century is now in effect from Wednesday afternoon until further notice. Record flooding is forecast. The river is forecast to crest at 28 feet. At 33.2 feet, the SR-4 Bridge floods.
FDOH Flood Fact Sheet
Moving Flood Water
During flooding, the greatest threat comes from moving water. The deeper the moving water, the greater the threat. People should avoid driving in moving water, regardless of the size of the vehicle.
Pooling Flood Water
Heavy rain causes flood waters to rise and pool on streets and throughout neighborhoods. In these situations, be aware of the following:
- Road surfaces become disguised and drivers can unknowingly steer into a deep body of water, such as a canal or pond.
- Electricity from streetlights and power poles may be present in standing water, causing a deadly shock to anyone coming in contact with it.
- Children playing in contaminated standing water can become sick or be bitten by snakes or floating insects.
- People coming into contact with floodwaters should thoroughly wash and rinse any exposed body parts with soap and disinfected water.
Contaminated Water Supply
Drinking contaminated water may cause illness. Water in a hurricane-affected area may not be safe to drink. Listen to local announcements on safety of the water supply. If the public water system lost pressure, a boil water notice will likely be issued for your area. People in these areas should take precautions to avoid consuming contaminated water. If your well is in a flooded area, your water may contain disease-causing bacteria and may not be safe to drink.
The Florida Department of Health recommends one of the following:
- Boil water for at least 1 minute before using it for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes.
- Disinfect water by adding 8 drops (about 1/8 tsp – this would form a puddle about the size of a dime) of unscented household bleach per gallon of water, and then let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure. Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination.
- Use only bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.
After the flooding subsides:
Contaminated Food
- Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with floodwaters.
- Discard any food without a waterproof container if there is any chance it has come into contact with floodwaters.
- Undamaged, commercially canned foods can be saved if you remove the labels thoroughly, wash the cans, and then disinfect them with a solution consisting of 1/4 cup of unscented household bleach per gallon of water for clean surfaces.
- Re-label your cans, including the expiration date, with a marker. Food containers with screw-caps, snap lids and home canned foods should be discarded if they have come in contact with floodwaters, because they cannot be disinfected.
Contaminated Items
- Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. There is no way to safely clean them if they have come in contact with contaminated floodwaters.
- Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils with soap and hot water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1/4 cup of household bleach per gallon of water.
The First Judicial Circuit Courts
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The First Judicial Circuit courts in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 16. Normal operations are expected to resume on Thursday.
Florida Department of Health in Escambia County
Due to the potential for storm impact from Hurricane Sally, Escambia County buildings will be closed tomorrow, September 16, 2020. All offices of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) will be closed during this period. FDOH-Escambia offices are currently scheduled to reopen on Thursday, Sept. 17 at their regular time.
- All FDOH-Escambia clinics, and other services provided by FDOH-Escambia, will be suspended Wednesday, Sept. 16. Clients with appointments scheduled during this period may call 850-595-6500 when we reopen to reschedule their appointment.
- Community Health Northwest Florida dental services at FDOH-Escambia’s Fairfield Drive Service Center will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 16 and are scheduled to reopen Thursday, Sept. 17. Patients who have appointments in the dental clinic may call 850-912-8880 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.
Governor's Press Office
- Today, Tuesday, Sept. 15, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-225, expanding the state of emergency posed by Hurricane Sally to the following counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Walton, and Washington.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Closures
Naval Live Oaks day use area
Hwy 399 J. Earle Bowden Way
Santa Rosa Area/Opal Beach
Fort Pickens Area
Fort Barrancas - due to NAS Pensacola base restrictions
Perdido Key/ Johnson Beach
Okaloosa Area
- The areas will remain closed until further notice.
Hygiene
- Basic hygiene is very important during a natural disaster. Always wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected and cooled. Hands should be washed before preparing or eating food, after using the bathroom or changing a diaper, after handling uncooked food, after playing with a pet, after handling garbage, after tending to someone who is sick or injured, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after helping in flood cleanup activities, and after handling items contaminated with flood water or sewage.
NAS Pensacola
- Due to potential inclement weather from Hurricane Sally, Naval Air Station Pensacola will curtail normal operations and will be in Condition of Readiness as of Monday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. Only mission essential personnel are required to report for duty. COR I means that destructive force winds (50 mph) are forecasted within 12 hours. No personnel evacuations have been ordered at this time. Aircraft from Training Air Wing SIX will be hangered on board the installation.
Pensacola International Airport
- As of 6 p.m. today, Sept. 14, Pensacola International Airport will be closed to all arriving and departing aircraft. Passengers will not be allowed to stay in the terminal building. PNS will remain closed until weather (wind speeds, rain, etc.) allow for safe operation. Passengers with flights in or out of PNS tonight or tomorrow should contact their airlines for rescheduling and updates.
Roads and Bridge Closures
- Theo Baars Bridge and Lillian Bridge are now closed per the Sheriff’s Office.
- Three Mile Bridge is closed due to sustained winds of 40 MPH per FDOT. Garcon Point Bridge is still open at this time. Tolls are being suspended on the Garcon Point Bridge per Santa Rosa County.
- View Escambia County Road Closures at https://myescambia.com/our-services/publicworks/road-issues/road-issues-map
- The following roads are closed in the City of Pensacola due to flooding. Real-time road closures are available on the city's road closures map.
- 17th Avenue at the CSX railroad trestle/Graffiti Bridge
- DeVilliers Street at Main Street
- Interstate 110 at the Interstate 10 ramp
- 9th Avenue at Romana Street
- 6th Avenue at Highland Drive
- Sonia Street at K Street
- Coyle Street at Main Street
- Main Street at G Street
- Main Street from Baylen to Clubbs Street
- Government Street from Reus Street to Clubbs Street
- J Street south of Cedar Street
- The River Flood Warning for the Perdido River near Barrineau Park remains in effect from this evening until further notice. Major, near-record flooding is forecast. The river is forecast to crest at 26.0 feet. At 26.3 feet, record flooding is expected similar to Hurricane Georges in 1998; River Annex Road, Ruby's Fish Camp, Hurst Hammock Road, Seminole Landing, Adventures Perdido River, and River Bend Estates are flooded. At 24.06 feet, water enters the first floor of houses on stilts just north of Adventures Perdido River.
Schools, Colleges & Universities
- All Escambia County Schools will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16. The Special School Board Meeting and Final Budget Hearing will be rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 5:01 p.m., and the Regular School Board Meeting will follow the Special Meeting, and begin at 5:30 p.m., also on Sept. 22.
- Pensacola Christian College classes were canceled starting at noon Tuesday. Tentative plans are to resume Wednesday at noon. Pensacola Christian Academy is also closed on Wednesday. Classes are expected to resume Thursday.
- All offices, classes and activities at Pensacola State College will remain closed through Wednesday, Sept. 16. PSC plans to reopen Thursday, Sept. 17 but will monitor the weather and any storm related issues and send additional alerts if plans change.
- UWF will be closed starting at 12 a.m. (midnight) on Tuesday, Sept. 15 through 11:59 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. All courses, including online courses, are cancelled. All assignments, exams, virtual and in-person courses must be suspended during this time. All virtual or in-person meetings, activities and services are suspended during this time. The University will resume operations at 12 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, Sept. 17 unless otherwise notified by the university.
Storm Preparation Actions you can Take Now
- Review/make your family plan. Need help? Read more on how to care for your family here.
- Know your zone. Look up your address online here. You can search by address or parcel number and then look for the “Emergency Management Report.” The address function is self-populating, so type slowly and then choose the address from the drop down list.
- Restock your disaster kit supplies/get a kit. Your disaster kit should have at least three days of nonperishable food and three gallons of water for each person and pet in your home, along with other supplies. Click here to see our latest disaster kit shopping list.
- Prep your yard. As we are entering the height of hurricane season, it is also recommended that residents take a few minutes to inspect their home and yard. Check for, fix or remove loose items on your home and sheds. Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and down spouts. Trim trees and shrubs around your home.
- Stay informed. Things can change quickly. Be sure you take time every day to monitor the local media. Escambia County also has several tools available for our residents. Learn more here. Monitor local media and legitimate online and social media sources like Escambia County Emergency Management, US National Weather Service Mobile, and NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center.
Traffic Conditions
- Check for Escambia County road closures 24/7 at www.myescambia.com/roadissuesmap.
- In Escambia County, we work with law enforcement to close bridges for safety at sustained (not gusts) wind speeds of 39 miles per hour or greater. It is not yet clear if our area will have this level of impact.
Weather Update from National Weather Service of Mobile/National Hurricane Center
Visit nhc.noaa.gov/#Sally for the latest information.
- A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Escambia County.
- A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Escambia County.
- At 1 p.m. today, the center of Hurricane Sally was located about 60 miles (95 km) east of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 105 miles (165 km) south of Mobile, Alabama. Sally is moving toward the northwest near 2 mph (4 km/h). A slow north-northwestward to northward motion is expected this afternoon, followed by a slow northward to north-northeastward motion tonight through Wednesday night.
- On the forecast track, the center of Sally will pass near the coast of southeastern Louisiana today, and make landfall in the hurricane warning area late tonight or Wednesday.
- Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the hurricane warning area later today or tonight. Tropical storm conditions are already occurring in portions of the warning areas, and these conditions will continue through Wednesday night
- Isolated tornadoes may occur today through Wednesday across portions of the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.
- Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph (130 km/h) with higher gusts - a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km).
- Sally is forecast to produce 10 to 20 inches of rainfall with isolated amounts of 30 inches along and just inland of the central Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to far southeastern Mississippi.
- A Flash Flood Watch for Escambia County is in effect through Thursday morning.
- High rip current risk through the end of the week.
- A High Surf Warning is in effect for Escambia County through 6 p.m. Wednesday.
| Current Situation |
| ESF 1 Transportation |
Minor Issues
ECAT staff and vehicles are on standby.
09/15/2020 08:17:30 |
| ESF 2 Communications |
Normal Operations
09/15/2020 07:19:49 |
ESF 3
Public Works |
Normal Operations
Three Mile Bridge closed for safety reasons due to possible barge hitting bridge and 40 mile sustained winds. Pensacola Police Department is closing Pensacola side of bridge and Gulf Breeze is closing Santa Rosa side of bridge at 9 a.m.
09/15/2020 09:31:29 |
| ESF 4 Firefighting |
Normal Operations
Six National Guard high water rescue vehicles being assigned to Escambia County.
High Water Vehicle Staging Location:
Station 18 (Molino) / POC is Anthony Manning
Station 6 (Ensley) / POC is Adam Bobe
Station 2 (Beulah) / POC is Jim Pokrandt
Pensacola Fire Department Station 2 (4132 N Davis Highway) / POC is Brock Jester
Station 11 (Myrtle Grove) / POC is Robert Jordan
Station 16 (Warrington) / POC Andrew Rasnick
09/15/2020 10:11:26 |
ESF 5
Planning Section |
Normal Operations
GIS Division: Working on minor operations/tasks to keep up-to-date information current.
Planning Section: Generating status reports for state and county, generating templates for future potential operations. Preparing for landfall.
09/15/2020 08:57:46 |
ESF 6
Mass Care |
Normal Operations
Pensacola Bay Center
Shelter Status
Tue, 9/15, 1:01am
Numbers
101
0 special needs
0 animals
Other notes
Per Cyndee Pennington: No issues to report
Bay Center will be responsible for lunch and dinner and the red cross will do breakfast.
The Red Cross is the Shelter Manager and will enforce social distancing.
Capacity is 667 but this space is shared with pets and special needs so the reality is probably 500 at best guess
09/15/2020 14:07:21 |
ESF 7
Logistics Section |
Normal Operations
Tamika Williams, ESF 7 Logistics Section Chief, arrived for duty at 7 a.m. Attended the Planning Meeting and provided a briefing to the EOC. Entered 3 State Mission Requests. Lunch was served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Picked up dinner and midnight feeding from food vendor Aramark.
09/15/2020 13:14:33 |
ESF 8
Health & Medical |
Normal Operations
ESF-8 set up and ready at 7 a.m. Escambia County FDOH closed today and expected to reopen Wednesday, Sept. 16. SpNS co-located with Red Cross general population shelter at the Bay Center which opened at 8 p.m. yesterday, Sept. 14.
09/15/2020 09:05:56 |
ESF 9
Search & Rescue |
Normal Operations
Search and Rescue has adequate manning and is standing by.
09/15/2020 13:52:55 |
| ESF 10 Hazardous Materials |
Normal Operations
09/15/2020 07:29:28 |
ESF 11
Food & Water |
Normal Operations
ESF11 Lead is working with Public Works and Planning to plan for days ahead in the event the storm causes intensive damages to prepare for PODS and review POD sites. Human Services Branch Director has confirmed with POD Managers and Site Managers to be on alert in the event PODs have to be activated. Currently there are 6 PODS designated for activation if needed.
09/15/2020 07:29:28 |
ESF 12
Energy |
Minor Issues
Normal delivery ops at this time. Fuel terminals closed in Pensacola, Mobile, Niceville and Freeport.
09/15/2020 09:34:21 |
ESF 14
PIO |
Normal Operations
Press Conferences will be announced soon for tomorrow. Updating social media and press releases with new information.
09/15/2020 11:13:46 |
ESF 15
Volunteer & Donations |
Normal Operations
ESF 15 is not aware of any unmet needs for volunteers. We participated in a call with the Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster this afternoon. Member organizations of the Florida VOAD will be prepared to deploy volunteer emergency response teams if needed to assist survivors with unmet disaster caused needs.
09/15/2020 14:16:45 |
ESF 16
Law Enforcement |
Normal Operations
ESF 16 being manned.
09/15/2020 11:33:15 |
ESF 17
Animal & Agricultural Issues |
Minor Issues
Pet friendly shelter is operating, but currently has no animals.
Equestrian center is not operating as a shelter due to potential local impact, encouraging people needing livestock shelter to contact shelters out of the impact area.
Shelter is closed to the public but animals are being provided care. Wildlife shelter closed to public animals have been moved due to flooding concerns, people with wild life emergencies can contact thru their Facebook page.
Power is out at the Animal Shelter, staff is providing care for the animals. Waiting for Gulf Power to restore power.
09/15/2020 14:32:37 |
