- A 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been issued for Escambia County due to Hurricane Sally, effective at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 16. This curfew includes the City of Pensacola. The violation of an emergency order is a second degree misdemeanor, which is a max 60 days jail/$500 fine.
- On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores, Ala. at 4:45 a.m. as a Category 2 with sustained winds of 105 mph and gusts 120+ mph.
- Escambia River- A flood warning continues for the Escambia River near Century until further notice. Wednesday night, the river stage was 17.1 feet. The Escambia River is expect to rise to a crest of 25.2 feet early Friday afternoon. At 24.2- the level of a record flood on March 18, 1990, water will enter several houses on Worley Road, Daffin Road and Fairground Rain in Molino
- Perdido River- A flood warning continues for the Perdido River near Barrineau Park until Friday evening. Wednesday night, the stage was 22.3 feet, well above flood stage of 13 feet. The river is expected to rise to a crest of 22.4 feet on Thursday and fall below flood stage early Friday afternoon.
- Escambia County sustained substantial damage due to wind and flooding.
- Officials are working to assess flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Sally. Everyone is encouraged to continue to shelter in place for as long as it remains safe to do so. Roadways are likely not safe for travel. There has been road damage in the county.
- Escambia County is working closely with State and Federal partners to assist in response and have requested multiple assets and personnel.
- Pensacola Energy asks the public to call 850-474-5307 if you smell gas.
- The Citizen Information Line is available 24 hours a day for residents to call with questions or concerns at: (850) 471-6600
- Everyone is encouraged to follow BeReadyEscambia Facebook and Twitter sites for the latest Hurricane Sally information.
- While reaching out to friends and family, we encourage you to text rather than call to keep cell towers open for 911 callers.
- Escambia County Fire Rescue, National Guard and the Sherriff’s Office are actively working on water rescues and life saving measures.
- Currently, ECFR, EMS and Sheriff’s Office are undergoing swift water and stillwater response and rescue operations. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, there have been 377 water rescue operations. Emergency services personnel are embedded in emergency vehicles from the Florida National Guard to assist with rescues. Emergency Management has also requested and received response from the United States Coast Guard who are sending boat teams over from Mobile as well as our FEMA USAR partners who were pre-staged and will be arriving momentarily from Jacksonville and Tennessee in the next few hours. Two hundred National Guardsmen are arriving tomorrow.
- Emergency Management has also engaged voluntary organizations active in disaster and the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief has a full response team coming to our area for relief.
- Hospitals are opened and staffed; however, some are operating on generator power. 9-1-1 calls are being prioritized so please be patient. Those who are in imminent danger will be helped first.
- EMS has responded to over 200 calls for service. There have been no storm-related deaths reported in Escambia County thus far.
- The Pensacola Bay Center continues to be open as a shelter that also takes special needs and is pet-friendly. Success Academy located at 7045 Wymart Road in Pensacola opened yesterday and is not a special needs shelter at this time.
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If you go to a public shelter, you will need to take the following items to support you and your family for four days:
-A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes
-Toiletries and personal items
-Blankets or sleeping bags and pillows
-Identification 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 non-perishable foods for snacks
-Battery-operated radio, flashlights and plenty of spare batteries
-Prescription medications or any over-the-counter medications you normally take
-Masks or face coverings (COVID-19 precautions)
- We are working on county infrastructure assessments and hope to complete this no later than tomorrow afternoon. As of today, over $21 million damage to county assets (roads, bridges and county-owned buildings).
- There is still no electricity or water at most county facilities so offices will be closed Friday, September 18 to the public. County emergency CRITICAL personnel will be required to report to work. The EOC at the Public Safety Building will continue to operate 24/7.
- There are USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams going house to house in the flood zones.
- The Lake Stone Campground will be closed until further notice due to fallen trees at or across the entry/exit road. Parks crews will be in the field performing initial damage assessments beginning Thursday on ballparks, neighborhood parks, and other park properties. We will be trying to clear fallen debris, and safeguard park properties within these initial damage assessments. With that said, we urge the public to be very cautious within the park property areas and if possible, please avoid the park properties with fallen debris and damage until the Parks and Recreation crews have had the chance to access any damage, cleanup fallen debris, and make any required safety repairs.
- Palafox Transfer Station is closed Thursday, Sept. 17
- Perdido Landfill opened today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept, 17
- Canceled: Regional Round Up at Washington High School on Saturday, Sept. 19
- The media is invited to attend two press conferences, Friday, Sept. 18 at the Public Safety building, 6575 N. "W" St., inside the media room regarding the latest updates on Hurricane Sally. The first press conference will take place at 10 a.m. and the second press conference will take place at 3 p.m. The meetings will also be streamed live on the Escambia County Emergency Management Facebook page.
Known Damage and Closures
- A section of the Three Mile Bridge has been damaged and is being accessed by the Florida Department of Transportation, Emergency Management and county officials.
- I-10 traffic is being diverted eastbound at the 17 mile marker and westbound at the 31 mile marker until the barge and crane are secure.
- Summit Blvd. is not accessible due to flooding
- The Pensacola International Airport remains closed until further notice.
- The Pensacola Bay Bridge is currently being inspected by the Florida Department of Transportation. Governor DeSantis will be providing an update on the assessment later this afternoon.
- At this time, the Parks and Recreation Department is in the process of initial damage assessments at our Escambia County parks. While in this process, we are strongly encouraging the public to refrain from park use until initial clean up and safety efforts are made.
Baptist Health Care
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Most Baptist facilities, services and practices are reopening Friday, Sept. 18. To reach specific offices and departments, please visit our phone directory at ebaptisthealthcare.org/locations-and-contacts.
Open/Services Resumed
- Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine – including physician practices, imaging, physical rehab and ambulatory surgery
- Baptist, Gulf Breeze and Jay hospital inpatient services, outpatient services and emergency departments
- Scheduled surgeries/procedures at all hospitals resume Friday, Sept. 18.
- Baptist Behavioral Medicine
- Baptist Medical Parks – Airport/ Navarre/Nine Mile/Pace – Most of services and practices at the parks are open
- Baptist Hospital outpatient radiation and infusion therapy services
- Baptist Medical Group physician/provider offices – most practices are open. Teams at those that remain closed will contact patients directly to reschedule appointments.
- Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile Surgery Center is open for limited cases on Friday, Sept. 18, and resumes a full schedule Monday, Sept. 21
- Tower’s Gift Shop
For all locations and services, patients are being contacted directly to reschedule cancelled appointments. Thank you for your patience as we work to resume services safely. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please check facebook.com/BaptistHealthCare for updates
Patients will be contacted directly to reschedule appointments. We apologize for any inconvenience. Plans are to reopen all services as soon as possible. Please check our Facebook page for updates.
The COVID-19 drive-through testing center in Pensacola operated by Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart will be open Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The testing call center that must be contacted before going to the drive-through will open at 8 a.m. Call 850-746-2684.
City of Pensacola
- Initial reports include significant flooding, downed trees and power lines, power outages and multiple traffic signal outages. The city has started initial damage assessments from Hurricane Sally, and crews will continue until the assessments are completed.
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Parks managed by the City of Pensacola are closed to the public until deemed safe from the aftermath of Hurricane Sally. Additionally, all city community resource centers are currently closed but will reopen for mask and food distribution on Monday, Sept. 21.
- Osceola Golf Course is also closed through at least Friday, Sept. 18.
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Fricker Resource Center will remain closed until further notice.
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Vickrey Community Center will remain closed until further notice. For more information about City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation, visit playpensacola.com or like Play Pensacola Parks and Recreation on Facebook.
- Multiple roadways in the city are closed or impassable due to flooding, downed power lines and other debris. For a real-time road closures map, visit pensacolapolice.com.
- The City of Pensacola’s 311 is down for non-emergency calls. The city is working to restore service as soon as possible. Reports can still be made here.
- PFD and PPD have responded to multiple calls to rescue people from cars. Onlookers are putting themselves and first responders at risk and taking resources away from those who are experiencing critical, life threatening emergencies.
- PFD has been coordinating with a National Guard high water response vehicle to rescue multiple occupants trapped due to high waters.
- PFD responded to a residential structure fire on 9th Avenue at approximately 6 a.m today, Wednesday, Sept. 16. Despite dangerous conditions with high winds, PFD crews were able to extinguish the fire and rescue the occupants. PPD transported the occupants to the Pensacola Bay Center shelter.
- Pensacola Energy crews are responding to calls for service south of I-10 and will respond to calls north of I-10 when conditions are safe. If you smell natural gas or see a damaged gas line, please call Pensacola Energy at 474-5307.
- Pensacola International Airport is closed until further notice.
- City of Pensacola offices and community centers will remain closed tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 17. Essential personnel will be working.
- City Sanitation Services are suspended for the remainder of the week. Sanitation Services will resume Monday, Sept. 21 on a regular pickup schedule.
- All Meals on Wheels and to-go prepackaged meals from churches and community centers will resume as normal next week. Anyone in an emergency situation should call (850-432-1475.
- Starting Monday, Sept. 21, City of Pensacola Sanitation will begin to pickup yard debris on residents' curbside.
ECAT
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Due to flooding and roadway debris, ECAT will not run bus or trolley service Friday, Sept. 18. ECAT will resume transportation as soon as it's safe to do so.
- ECCT will only be providing life-sustaining transports.
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
- Effective immediately, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is issuing a system-wide Precautionary Boil Water Notice -PBWN- to its water system customers. This notice is in response to the significant and wide-spread damages sustained from Hurricane Sally. ECUA crews are already out in the field working to locate, isolate, and repair main breaks in order to restore service as quickly as possible. Although the majority of our customers remain in service, there are too many main breaks that require a PBWN for it to be practical to issue separate notices during this initial emergency response. Once the number of pending repairs is significantly reduced, the ECUA will revert to issuing separate notices for individual areas. We ask for our customers’ patience and understanding as we work to repair hundreds of breaks, giving priority to our hospitals, dialysis centers, and other critical care facilities.
- Residents are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use 8 drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water, for water to be used for drinking or cooking purposes.
- More information on precautionary boil water notice and key guidelines are available on the ECUA website at ecua.fl.gov/live-green/our-water-supply
- ECUA business offices will be reopen on Thursday, Sept. 17.
- Residential garbage collections for ECUA customers in Escambia County will resume Thursday, Sept. 17. We will pick up collections that were postponed from Tuesday. This is for garbage ONLY. Recycling and yard Waste collections are still on hold.
- Thursday & Friday collections will both be picked up on Saturday.
- The Water Reclamation Plant on Pensacola Beach is back online. Our crews are working to locate, isolate, and repair water and sewer main breaks on the beach in order to fully restore services. The system-wide precautionary boil water notice will apply to Pensacola Beach once water service is restored.
Escambia County School District
- Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has announced that all offices and schools within the Escambia County School District will be closed Thursday, Sept. 17 and Friday, Sept. 18 due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Sally.
Supervisor of Elections
- The Supervisor of Elections Office will remain closed on Thursday, September 17. Many of our services are available online at EscambiaVotes.gov.
- Election worker training scheduled for Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 will be rescheduled. Class attendees will be notified of the new training date and time.
First Judicial Circuit
- State courts in Escambia and Walton Counties will be CLOSED on Thursday and Friday, September 17 and 18, 2020. Regular operations will resume on Monday, Sept. 21.
- State courts in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties will be CLOSED on Thursday, September 17. If closure is required on Friday, that announcement will be made as soon as possible.
Florida Department of Transportation
Chipley – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is providing an update on state road and bridge closures and restrictions in Northwest Florida due to Hurricane Sally.
· State Road (S.R.) 20 from Racetrack Road to S.R. 77 is closed due to flooding.
· Pensacola International Airport has suspended operations for all arriving and departing commercial aircraft.
· The Pensacola Bay Bridge on U.S. 98 is closed to all traffic.
· S.R. 166 (Caverns Road) from Russell Road to S.R. 71 is closed due to flooding.
· U.S. 98 Okaloosa Island westbound travel lanes are open, the eastbound outside lane remains closed due to flooding.
· U.S. 98 at Hurlburt Field westbound lanes are closed. Eastbound travel lanes have been modified to handle two-way traffic (one eastbound and one westbound) at this time.
· I-10 and U.S. 90 Shoal River Bridges are closed due to flooding.
· Garcon Point Bridge (S.R. 281) is open to limited to two-axle vehicles. Emergency service vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, are permitted to cross the bridge as well as sport-utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and private vehicles towing single or double axle trailers. Trucks need to continue to follow the truck detour routes.
· S.R. 277 from Pioneer to Clayton Road remains closed due to flooding.
Motorists are encouraged to monitor weather reports and road conditions and to be on the lookout for flooded roads. If the road ahead is flooded, turn around and find an alternate route. Flooded roads may hide the fact that the roadway is washed out underneath and as little as six inches of rushing water can force your car off the road.
For the latest closures and updates, travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com. For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on the web at www.nwflroads.com, follow us on Twitter @myfdot_nwfl, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
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Theo Baars and Bob Sikes bridges are open to residents. Identification such as a driver's license, utility bill, lease, or Pensacola Beach sticker is required for Pensacola Beach access.
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Bob Sikes Bridge inspection was completed at 2:45pm today. The southbound bridge is closed until further notice due to undermining of the approach slab and roadway shoulder collapsing. The northbound bridge is open to restricted traffic loads and speeds at this time. Minimal undermining of approach slab for this bridge. Contractor is currently mobilizing resources.
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Out-of-town Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key property owners should wait to check on their properties due to limited access, power and water. Very few stores or retail establishments are open. Law enforcement is patrolling the areas.
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The Garcon Point Bridge (SR 281) is open to two-axle vehicles. Emergency service vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, are permitted to cross the bridge as well as SUVs, pick-up trucks, and private vehicles towing single or double axle trailers.Trucks need to continue to follow the truck detour routes. Variable message boards will be placed on both ends of the bridge to alert drivers about the temporary restrictions.
Florida Department of Health in Escambia County
Gulf Power
For the latest outage map and to report an outage visit https://map.gulfpower.com/ and 800-487-6937. News releases are at https://www.gulfpowernews.com/. There are approximately 142,000 households without power.
Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc.
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The EREC power system received significant damage from Hurricane Sally with 95% of members without electricity immediately following the storm. Crews are working around the clock restoring power as quickly and safely as possible.
Escambia County received significant damage to the transmission lines feeding the Bratt and Oak Grove substations. Our generation and transmission facility, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, is hard at work getting those lines repaired to energize the substations. Once those repairs are complete, all the distribution work that has been done following the storm will result in the power being restored to some members on those substations. Immediately, line crews will continue to work on main distribution and tap lines to continue bringing members online.
EREC will have approximately 100 additional line personnel in the field today working to assist power restoration to the system. Crews will continue to work, day and night, until all power has been restored.
For the latest closures and updates, travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com. 
For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on the web at www.nwflroads.com, follow us on Twitter @myfdot_nwfl, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
Governor's Press Office
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Today, Governor DeSantis held a press conference regarding Hurricane Sally at the Pensacola International Airport.
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Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-225, expanding the state of emergency for Hurricane Sally to the following counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington.
NAS Pensacola
- Following the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, Naval Air Station Pensacola is currently at Condition of Readiness (COR) V as of Thursday, Sept. 17.
- Access to the base remains only for mission essential personnel or base residents until further notice. COR V is the lowest condition of hurricane readiness. Destructive force winds (50 mph) are not expected.
- Damage assessment continues onboard NAS Pensacola following the hurricane and more information will be provided in the near future.
Pensacola Chamber
Escambia County Key Business Opening Status as of Sept. 16, 2020 (4:30 p.m.)
Store openings/closings
Publix: https://ww4.publix.com/pages/publix-storm-basics/publix-store-status
Winn-Dixie: https://www.winndixie.com/weather-update
Home Depot: https://corporate.homedepot.com/hurricane-sally-store-status
Lowes: https://corporate.lowes.com/newsroom/stories/hurricane-sally-store-hours-closings
All Targets are open until 7 PM and have limited dry groceries.
All Publix stores are open. Hours vary depending on location and supplies.
All Lowes and Home Depot stores are open operating from 6 AM until curfew.
The following Walgreens are open: Nine Mile and Pine Forest, Mobile Hwy and Saufley, 9th Ave. and Cervantes.
FloridaDisaster.Biz Open/Close Status: https://www.floridadisaster.biz/BusinessOpenCloseStatus
Pensacola Christian Academy
- Pensacola Christian Academy and Pensacola Christian College will be closed Thursday, Sept. 17 and Friday, Sept. 18. Non-essential employees should not report to work Thursday and Friday.
The Santa Rosa Island Authority
The Santa Rosa Island Authority regular scheduled committee meeting for September 23 has been postponed to September 30.
Waste Services
Escambia County is beginning its recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Sally. To assist Residents and the County’s Commercial Haulers in the process of disposal of waste and debris, the following schedule of Hours of Operation for the Perdido Landfill, Palafox Transfer Station and Oak Grove Citizens Convenience Center, for Friday, 09/18/20 and Saturday, 09/19/20, are being provided for your assistance and convenience:
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Perdido Landfill – 13009 Beulah Rd., Cantonment, FL 32533
09/18 – Commercial: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Residential: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
09/19 – Commercial: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Residential: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Palafox Transfer Station (Commercial Only) – 2906 N. Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32501
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09/18 – CLOSED
09/19 – 5:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Oak Grove Citizens Convenience Center (Residential Only) – 745 County Rd 99 McDavid FL 32568
09/18 – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – (Until further notice, please observe regular volume limits)
UWF
- UWF will be closed until Monday, Sept. 21 through 4:59 a.m.
Generator Safety Tips and Precautions
- Do not attempt to move downed power lines. Please contact Gulf Power at 1-800-GU-POWER (1-800-487-6937)
- Unless you are in a life-threatening situation, please shelter in place and do not venture out.
Chain Saw Safety
- Become familiar with the recommended safe operational procedures before attempting to work with a chain saw.
- Be sure that you are in top physical and mental condition when operating dangerous machinery. Medications and alcohol can cause you to be a hazard to yourself and others when working with chain saws.
- Equip yourself with protective clothing and equipment including safety goggles, hearing protection, steel-toed shoes, hard hat, gloves, and close-fitting clothing.
- Never make cuts with the saw between your legs; always cut with the saw to the outside of your legs.
- Don’t stand on a log and saw between your feet.
- Always stand to one side of the limb you are cutting; never straddle it.
- Always keep in mind where the chain will go if it breaks; never position yourself or other people in line with the chain.
- Keep the chain out of the dirt; debris will fly.
Tips on choosing a contractor:
No permitting is required for emergency storm repairs. Emergency repairs are for achieving a basic level of safety for occupancy of a structure.
- Ask to see their license and call the appropriate licensing agency – Escambia County Contractor Licensing Section for a county license or DBPR for state license to verify the status and insurance.
- Contractor Search
- Ask for and verify references from past customers.
- Check with the local Better Business Bureau.
- Get a written estimate from several licensed contractors. Be sure that the estimate includes all work to be done by the contractor, the materials involved, date of completion and the total cost.
- Don't simply take the lowest bid. An abnormally low bid could lead to trouble later on.
- If the project is for repairing damage, check with your insurance company before you sign a contractor to verify that your insurance will cover the repairs.
- An occupational license is not sufficient in the construction trades.
- Beware of alleged contractors who ask to be paid in cash or ask for large payments up front.
Report Price Gouging
Report fraud by calling the Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-9 - NO-SCAM (1-866-966--7226
Visit www.MyFloridaLegal.com to find consumer tips or to file a complaint.
Helpful Links and Contacts
Outages:
- Gulf Power: 1-800-GU-POWER (1-800-487-6937)
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative: 1-877-OUT-EREC (1-877-688-3732)
- ECUA General Customer Service: (850) 476-0480
Law Enforcement: All emergencies: 911
Utilities
How You Can Help
- United Way of West Florida (UWWF) will open a relief fund for those affected by Hurricane Sally.
- UWWF will accept financial contributions to the fund to provide support to these households.
- UWWF will accept financial contributions to help victims of Hurricane Sally.
- BRACE strongly encourages Cash, Confirm, and Connect through cash donations the affected can receive the aid they need.
- At this time, there are no needed items for those impacted by Hurricane Sally. ESF 15 encourages cash donations to UWWF.
