Hurricane Sally Update from Escambia County Sept. 21 at 11 a.m.

• The curfew for the county and city expired at 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21, but it may be extended if deemed necessary by law enforcement. 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 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 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 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.
• 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.

• Success Academy is closed as a shelter. The Pensacola Bay Center is going to a Host shelter ran by the American Red Cross starting at noon on Saturday Sept 19, 2020. 

• We are working on county infrastructure assessments. Preliminary estimates are $139 million of damage to public and private property in the county and city of Pensacola.     
  • County employees are expected to report into work on Monday, Sept. 21 at your normal location and to work your normal hours unless otherwise instructed by your supervisor. All buildings have water, however, not all have been cleared for drinking purposes so please bring drinking water to work.
  • County offices will only be open to the public at the Central Office Complex for building permits.
• Lake Stone campground has been reopened as power has been restored and fallen trees handled. Interested campers for Lake Stone should call the campground directly at 850-256-5555.
• The Equestrian Center is available for horse owners from effected areas.  For stall information, interested horse owners should contact the Equestrian Center directly at 850-941-6042 in which owners will be briefed on the required paperwork for the horses to be stalled at the facility.
• Perdido Landfill opened on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The media is invited to attend a press conference, Monday, Sept. 21, at the Public Safety building, 6575 N. "W" St., inside the media room regarding the latest updates on Hurricane Sally. The press conference will take place at 3 p.m. The meeting will also be streamed live on the Escambia County Emergency Management Facebook page.
• We would like to thank all our media partners for getting information to residents during Hurricane Sally. A few residents who lack power have reminded us that radio updates are the best for them. WUWF 88.1 FM has been airing all our press conferences in their entirety.
• Contractors can get building permits at the COC, 3363 West Park Place, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
• Escambia County will begin curbside removal of debris generated by Hurricane Sally on Wednesday, Sept. 23. 
  • Debris that was generated by Hurricane Sally should be placed and sorted on the area immediately adjoining the road in front of your home.
  • The county has divided its jurisdiction into three zones and contracted with three separate companies to accomplish the debris removal in 90 days.

• If you need assistance with debris cleanup, mucking, tarp installation and mold remediation, please contact Crisis Cleanup at 800.451.1954
• Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is also available to assist with debris cleanup, mucking, tarp installation and mold remediation – 904.253.9924 
• Building Services – has provided over 1,200 assessments of private structures and is continuing to work over the weekend.
• Engineering/Roads – We have opened 500 roads since mid-day Wednesday
• The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners will hold a budget hearing to discuss approving the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 5:31 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers found on the first floor of 221 Palafox Place. Click here to view the agenda.
• Food and water distribution sites announced in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally: https://bit.ly/3ksdNwU
• PODS are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There have been 11,350 cars that have gone to the PODS for ice, water, food and tarps. Today is the last day the PODS will be open due to more infrastructure returning. There will continue to be feeding resources in the community. 
• List of Confirmed Feeding Sites for today 9/21
  Mercy Chefs Feeding

  • Brownsville Community Center – 11am-5pm Confirmed through Wednesday Sept. 23.

  Salvation Army Feeding locations:

  • Century Industrial Parkway- a fixed feeding site has been established at Century Industrial Parkway at 6801 Industrial Blvd., Century, FL 32535 ~ Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Point Church- a fixed feeding site has been established at Point Church at 13801 Innerarity Point Rd., Pensacola, FL 32507 ~ Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • AMC- a fixed feeding site has been established at AMC at 161 East Nine Mile Rd., Pensacola, FL 32526 ~ Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Brent Ball Park- a fixed feeding site has been established at corner of Beverly Pkwy & W St., Pensacola, FL ~Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Equestrian Center- a fixed feeding site has been established at Equestrian Center at 7750 Mobile Hwy, Beulah, FL ~Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Olive Baptist- a fixed feeding site has been established at Olive Baptist (Warrington) at 103 Winthrop Ave., Pensacola, FL 32507 ~ Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Park near The Salvation Army ~ Pensacola- a fixed feeding site has been established at Park near The Salvation Army Corps ~ Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  • Pensacola Village- a fixed feeding site has been established at Pensacola Village Apartments 500 E Fairfield Dr. Hours: Lunch at noon & Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
  Red Cross Feeding

  • Olive Baptist Church, 1836 East Olive Rd Pensacola FL 32514- Begin serving 12noon/ We will also serve dinner. (CORRECTION - MOBILE FEEDING ONLY)

There will be a job fair Monday, Sept. 21 and Tuesday, Sept. 22: 

• Central Office Complex- 3363 West Park Place Pensacola, FL 32505
• Time: Noon (12 p.m.)- 4 p.m.
• Compensation: $1,000+ / week 
• 18+ years of age and proof of citizenship/authorization to work in US
• 12 hours per day – 7 days per week
• Driver’s license, safe driving record, automobile, and proof of insurance required

Interested applicants can inquire at:

• www.hurricanejob.com and select the “Hurricane Sally Debris Monitor - Escambia County, FL”
• Phone: (319) 750-1026 and leave your contact information.

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.
• 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. 

Traffic Signals

• 264 traffic signals managed by FDOT and the county were assessed. We have 244 back up and running, with 14 on flashers. Crews are still working. Only 6 are non-operational.

• Traffic signal just restored at Pensacola Beach. About half-dozen traffic signals system-wide to restore, teams are working hard to restore all signals.

Ascension Sacred Heart

• The COVID-19 drive-through testing center in Pensacola operated by Ascension Sacred Heart will be open on Monday, Sept. 21 from 9 am.. to 1 p.m.

Baptist Health Care

• All Baptist Health Care facilities are back to normal operations. For all locations, patients are being contacted directly to reschedule cancelled appointments. We thank you for your patience as we worked through the challenges presented by Hurricane Sally.

  These clinics will be open Saturday, Sept. 19:

  •            Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile Urgent Care

  •            Baptist Medical Park – Airport Urgent Care

  •            Baptist Medical Park – Pace Walk-in Care

  •            Baptist Medical Park – Navarre Walk-in Care

  The regular Jay Hospital phone number has been restored. To reach Jay Hospital, please call 675-8000.

  Debris removal is ongoing at many of our campuses, so please be cautious if you visit. Please visit facebook.com/BaptistHealthCare for updates.  

City of Pensacola

• Pensacola International Airport reopened at noon on Friday, Sept. 18, to commercial air traffic. The PNS operations team has worked with all airport partners to ensure the airport is safe and secure in order to resume normal operations.

• This determination comes after extensive coordination with TSA, airlines, parking, Air Traffic Control and security teams.

• While the airport facilities are open, passengers will need to work with their airline to determine flight schedules and availability. Many flights may still be canceled, and it may take a couple of days for the airlines to resume their normal operations.

• American Airlines, United Airlines, and Frontier resumed flights Saturday, Sept. 19.  Delta and Southwest began commercial air travel on Friday, Sept. 18. Please check with your airline to determine flight availability.

• Passengers are reminded to continue to adhere to the safety precautions put in place due to COVID-19. Masks are still required to be worn, and passengers are asked to maintain appropriate distancing while at the airport.

• For more information about Pensacola International Airport, visit flypensacola.com.

• 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. 

• City offices are scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 21. City community resource centers  will reopen for mask and feeding programs only on Monday, Sept. 21, provided power has been restored to the facilities.

• Fricker Resource Center will remain closed until further notice.

• Vickrey Community Center will remain closed until further notice.

• Parks managed by the City of Pensacola are closed to the public until deemed safe from the aftermath of Hurricane Sally.

• 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. 
• If you smell natural gas or see a damaged gas line, please call Pensacola Energy at 474-5307.

• 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.

• City of Pensacola Sanitation Services will be modified next week so that every customer will receive garbage pickup twice. Customers will receive garbage pickup only (no recycling) the week of Sept. 21.

  Garbage pickup next week will be as follows (applies to City of Pensacola Sanitation customers only):

  • Monday, Sept. 21: Monday and Tuesday customers will receive garbage pickup only.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 22: Wednesday and Thursday customers will receive garbage pickup only.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 23: Monday and Tuesday customers will receive garbage pickup only.
  • Thursday, Sept. 24: Wednesday and Thursday customers will receive garbage pickup only. 

• The public's patience is appreciated as crews work to clear major thoroughfares first before clearing trees on roadways in city neighborhoods. Crews are working as quickly as possible to remove downed trees from the roadways.

• Drivers are urged to use extra caution on the roads and watch for downed trees, power lines and debris. Please remember to treat intersections with traffic signal outages as four-way stops.

• Pensacola City Council will hold an Emergency Meeting on Monday, Sept. 21 to extend the Mayoral Declaration of the State of Emergency for Hurricane Sally.

• Of the city's 92 signalized intersections, only 10 remain not working due to no power. The remaining 10 are expected to be restored within the next 24 hours, according to Gulf Power restoration estimates.
• All major stormwater ponds are being pumped down successfully, and storm inlets/pipes are being cleared by city crews.
• Damage assessments of city building facilities are ongoing, currently about 95% complete. The current damage estimate for city building facilities is at approximately $10 million. 
• City Parks and Recreation facilities are currently being assessed for damages. The damage assessments will continue into next week.
• 353 trees have been reported blocking roadways so far, and approximately 210 of those have been removed. All remaining blockages should be cleared within the next week.
• The City of Pensacola, in coordination with the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center and the Salvation Army, will be distributing 500 free to-go meals Sunday, Sept. 20 at Woodland Heights Community Resource Center, located at 111 Berkley Drive in Pensacola.
• Meals will be available to-go only on a first come, first served basis. Distribution will begin at 12:30 p.m. and will last until meals run out. This meal site will have walk-up access only. This is not a drive-up feeding site, and the parking lot will be closed to vehicle traffic.
• City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation, in coordination with the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center and FEMA, will be distributing free tarps and water on Monday, Sept. 21 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. or until supplies are gone.
• Mayor Grover Robinson will host his weekly press conference Monday, Sept. 21 in the Media Room at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center, located at 6575 N. "W" St. The press conference will be streamed live on Mayor Robinson's Facebook page at facebook.com/PensacolaMayor.

Clerk of Court
All offices of Pam Childers, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, will be closed Monday, Sept. 21st.

All Community Health Northwest Florida sites will be open for patient care tomorrow 9/21 and Tuesday 9/22, resuming regular business hours with the following exceptions:

• Pediatric Convenient Care and Jordan Street Walk-in Care will close at 6PM.

• CHNWF Pediatric Care Clinic at C.A. Weis Elementary School will remain closed.

• CHNWF Adult Care Clinic at Waterfront Rescue Mission will remain closed.

• Monday's COVID-19 mobile testing at W. Jackson Street is cancelled.

Cox

• Cox crews have completed hundreds of miles of damage assessments along the Gulf Coast network and are restoring service outages caused by Hurricane Sally. Cox teams began reconnecting neighborhoods after power is restored. As of this morning, we have reestablished services to over half of our impacted customers.

• ECAT will not run bus or trolley service Monday, Sept. 21. 
• ECCT will only be providing life-sustaining transports.
• ECAT phone lines are down. We apologize for any inconvenience. Anyone needing transport to shelters should call the Citizen Information Center at 850-471-6600.

• 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
• 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.
• We ask all residents to make sure their garbage cans are not full of storm water.  Please take a few minutes to check them and empty them out.  The water makes them too heavy for the automated truck arm to pick them up.
• The ECUA water system is now pressurized to the point that allows us to begin our sampling protocol, with approval from our partners at FDEP.  We have several sampling teams that have begun an aggressive sampling program throughout our service area. 
• This effort is usually completed over the course of one month but our teams will be working to complete this over the course of  approximately 72 hours, to expedite the process required to lift the Precautionary Boil Water Notice. 
• At this time, our expectation is to begin clearing portions of our system within 3 to 4 days. As our sampling effort unfolds, we will have more accurate projections and issue that information as it becomes available.
• There are approximately 98 lift stations without power.
• Water Boil notices will be rescinded when within FDEP limits. 
• ECUA phones are finally back in service but are experiencing an extremely high volume, which may make it difficult to get through.  Customers are urged to check the Call Center Activity Counter on our  website to determine the best time to call by following this link: https://ecua.fl.gov/ecua-call-center-stats Our customer service number at (850) 476-0480, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. and the emergency after hours number is (850) 476-5110.  Thanks to Cox Communications for working hard to get us back up and we are extra grateful for all the volunteers in the Citizens' Information Center at the County's EOC for handling calls while our phone lines were down.
  
  
• As residents work to clean up their properties and put storm debris out for collection, whether by City or County contractors, we urge you to please remember to place all debris well away from their water meter. This will help protect it from being damaged or impaired by the mechanical equipment used to collect the debris. 

Escambia County Animal Services

• The state ESF-17 and Escambia County Animal Services has requested and received all of the assistance we need from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). We do not need further assistance from other organizations.

• Beware of scams. We would encourage people not to donate to any animal rescue organizations for this event. It is common for people to solicit donations for assisting animals during disaster, post photos from the area that are not theirs and never even be in the area.

• With the help of the Humane Society and the Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter, the Escambia County Animal Shelter was able to successfully relocate close to 100 animals who were available for adoption.

• Because these animals are being relocated as they search for their forever homes the Escambia County Animal Shelter has space to keep lost animals safe until their owners come to reclaim them. Overall, the Manager of Animal Services John Robinson would like to say “Well done” to all residents of Escambia County for the amount of responsibility shown in properly caring for their four-legged family members throughout Hurricane Sally.

Escambia County School District

• Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has announced all schools and offices will be closed Monday September 21 and Tuesday September 22.
   
• Maintenance, Custodial and Facilities staff members have been busy assessing all schools. This is a dynamic situation with focus on power, water and road conditions. The Special Board meeting (Budget meeting) will happen Monday at 5:01 in Room 160 in the J. E. Hall Center and the Regular Meeting will start at 5:30. Mr. Thomas is planning to participate in today’s County press conference at 4:00 pm.

Escambia County Tax Collector's Office

• All four Escambia County Tax Collector offices will be open regular hours tomorrow, Monday, September 21, 2020.

Supervisor of Elections

• The Supervisor of Elections Office will reopen to the public on Monday, Sept. 21 at 8 a.m. You may visit us in person at 213 Palafox Place, second floor, by phone at 850- 595-3900, via email at soe@EscambiaVotes.com, or on the web at EscambiaVotes.gov.
• The election worker training classes on Monday, Sept. 21 will be held as scheduled. Class attendees were contacted via email, phone or text of their class time.
• Check our website and follow us on social media for updates.

Feeding the Gulf Coast

• 9/21/2020	8:30 AM	Pensacola Caring Hearts	2105 W Gregory Street	Pensacola	32502	FL	Escambia
  9/22/2020	9:00 AM	Career Source Gulf Coast	733 N Highway 231	Panama City	32405	FL	Bay
  9/22/2020	3:00 PM	Cantonment Improvement Committee	208 Webb Street	Cantonment	32533	FL	Escambia
  9/23/2020	9:00 AM	Talbot Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church	425 North Reus Street	Pensacola	32501	FL	Escambia
  9/24/2020	11:30 AM	Eastgate Christian Fellowship	7145 Highway 98	Panama City	32407	FL	Bay
  9/26/2020	8:00 AM	Ferry Pass Community Corporation	8350 Caminitti Lane	Pensacola	32514	FL	Escambia
  9/26/2020	8:00 AM	Bethel AME	511 Woodlands Drive	Pensacola	32503	FL	Escambia
  9/26/2020	9:00 AM	Christ Church Parish	500 N. Guillemard Street	Pensacola	32501	FL	Escambia
  9/26/2020	12:00 PM	Crosspoint United Methodist Church	214 Partin Drive South	Niceville	32578	FL	Okaloosa
  9/28/2020	10:00 AM	Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC	6915 Highway North	Molino	32587	FL	Escambia
  9/29/2020	10:00 AM	Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC	5983 Dogwood Drive	Milton	32570	FL	Santa Rosa
  10/1/2020	10:00 AM	Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC	301 E Winthrop Avenue	Pensacola	32507	FL	Escambia
  10/5/2020	10:00 AM	Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC	4540 Chumuckla Hwy	Pace	32571	FL	Santa Rosa
  10/6/2020	5:00 PM	CDAC Behavioral Healthcare	3100 W De Soto Street	Pensacola	32505	FL	Escambia
  10/6/2020	5:00 PM	CDAC Behavioral Healthcare	5629 Byrom Street	Milton	32570	FL	Santa Rosa
  10/8/2020	9:00 AM	Christ Church Parish	500 N. Guillemard Street	Pensacola	32501	FL	Escambia
  10/10/2020	8:00 AM	Eastside Baptist Church	3385 Roche Ave	Vernon	32462	FL	Washington

First Judicial Circuit

• Courts in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties will be closed Monday, Sept. 21.  

• In Santa Rosa County:

  Judge Hilliard will conduct first appearances at the jail at 9 a.m. on Saturday. 

  Judge Giraud will conduct first appearances at the jail at 9 a.m. on Sunday and Monday. 

  Judge Hilliard’s September 21 criminal hearings will be rescheduled to a later date. Notice of the new date will be sent in advance. 

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.

Escambia County

·       The Pensacola Bay Bridge on U.S. 98 is closed to all traffic.

Jackson County

·       State Road (S.R.) 166 (Caverns Road) from Russell Road to S.R. 71 is closed due to flooding. 

·       The outside eastbound lane of U.S. 90 from east of the Chipola River Bridge to Old U.S. Road is closed due to shoulder erosion.

Santa Rosa County

·       Garcon Point Bridge (S.R. 281) traffic restrictions have been lifted and is open to all traffic.

·       S.R. 89 is closed at the Alabama State line due to road damage in Alabama.

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.

Infrastructure Branch

FDOT cleared the following bridges for traffic and are functioning:

• Longleaf at Bayou Marcus
• Marcus Pointe at Crescent Lake 
• Bauer Rd at Unnamed Branch 
• Beula Rd at Unnamed Branch 
• Cantonment Athletic at Unnamed Branch 
• Fairground Road at Wilder Branch
• Schaag Rd at Branch of Jacks Brand

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. 

• Offices were closed Thursday, Sept. 17 and there will be no COVID-19 testing.
• Carbon Monoxide dangers: http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2020/09/091520-carbon-monoxide-dangers.pr.html
• Frequently Asked Questions- Carbon Monoxide
• Health risks after a storm
• Health Advisory and Flood Information Sheet
• Health Department Services Suspended on September 18, 2020
• The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) will suspend specimen collection for COVID-19 offered to Florida residents on Monday, Sept.21, 2020. Specimen collection is expected to resume normal operations Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020.

• As Gulf Coast Counties work to recover from Hurricane Sally, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is urging residents to not consume water under a boil water notice. At this time, water in Gulf Coast Counties may be unsafe for drinking and without electricity, residents are unable to boil water to decontaminate. Further, due to the storm, the overall sanitary conditions have been significantly impacted.

• DOH reminds residents to avoid contact with stray pets and wildlife. After storm events such as Hurricane Sally, pets may be displaced.  Any loose pet may be lost, frightened, or hurt – and more likely to bite. Even animals that are usually friendly may bite if they are scared or hurt.

• As the Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Sally continue to clean up, the Florida Department of Health reminds everyone to do their part in preventing mosquito breeding and mosquito-borne illness. All Florida residents and visitors are asked to Drain and Cover to help keep our families and neighbors safe

Florida Division Of Emergency Management

• The Division is working closely with utility crews to focus efforts as they restore power to homes and businesses impacted by Hurricane Sally. So far, power has been restored to more than 120,000 homes across Northwest Florida.
• The Division has deployed 50 trucks with light towers to support power restoration efforts and traffic movement through overnight hours.
• The Division has deployed 972,000 bottles of water and 179,000 meals to provide critical relief to Floridians impacted by Hurricane Sally.
• The Division supported nine general population shelters with PPE shelter kits and has established five non-congregate shelters for individuals with underlying conditions or who are COVID-19 positive.
• The Division has staged more than 200 generators and 100 pumps that are being deployed into impacted areas to assist with power outages and flooding.
• The Division is coordinating with the Florida Highway Patrol to provide law enforcement escorts for fuel trucks and utility crews as they move into Escambia County today.
• More information regarding the Division’s response is available here.

• Overnight, the Division arranged law enforcement escorts for 50 fuel trucks that delivered 450,000 gallons of fuel. Another 52 trucks are coming into the area throughout the day today and will receive law enforcement escorts.

• The Division of Emergency Management is also working with FHP to provide law enforcement escorts for utility crews.

• To date, power has been restored to more than 120,000 homes in the area – 45% of homes impacted have had their power restored.

• Florida Division of Emergency Management/ FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency field personnel are teaming up with Escambia County staff to assist with damage assessments. 

• Engineering design will be completed today. Construction is expected to start Tuesday with debris removal, followed by reconstruction starting on north side of bridge. 

Gulf Power

Gulf Power has restored power to nearly 185,000 customers less than 48 hours after Hurricane Sally left the area.
As crews continue to make progress, Gulf Power updated restoration times for customers affected by Hurricane Sally. Gulf Power expects most customers to have their power restored before Tuesday, Sept. 22.

• Customers in Century are estimated to be restored by midnight, Sunday, Sept. 20.
• Customers north of Kingsfield Road are estimated to be restored by midnight, Monday, Sept. 21.
• Customers south of Kingsfield Road including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and Innerarity Point, are estimated to be restored by midnight, Tuesday, Sept. 22
• All customers in Santa Rosa County are estimated to be restored by midnight, Sunday, Sept. 20.  

• Power restoration teams – more than 7,000 strong – are working day and night to restore power. Restoration Map
• Less than 101,000 customers without power as of Friday, Sept. 18, at 10 p.m.
• While many customers will be restored before this date, 95% of customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who can accept power will be restored by end of day Tuesday, Sept. 22.
• Use Gulf Power app to check restoration status; download the Gulf Power Mobile App by searching for “Gulf Power” in iTunes or the Google Play store.
• 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.
• Gulf Power announced that it had restored power to more than 126,000 customers affected by Hurricane Sally. Currently, approximately 157,000 customers are without electricity mainly in the hardest hit areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
• Gulf Power Outages - 9am 9/21/2020

Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc.

• EREC line crews and assisting cooperative crews continue to make great progress in repairs to our power system. EREC is following the proper steps in power restoration to bring the largest number of members back online in the shortest amount of time. All substations are energized, and crews are working on main distribution lines and, in some areas, tap lines.

• EREC continues to make great progress on power restoration following Hurricane Sally. Immediately following the storm, 95% of the EREC membership was without electricity representing 10,919 outages. Currently, EREC has 1,318 members without power.

• “In the first stage of power restoration, as you energize substations and large three-phase lines, you’ll see hundreds and even thousands of members come back online immediately,” said CEO Ryan Campbell. “As you near the end of the restoration process, you branch out into those smaller tap lines. You may work for two or three hours to restore power to five members.”

• EREC line crews have the assistance of additional cooperative crews representing a massive power restoration effort following Hurricane Sally. Work will not stop until every member has electricity. We appreciate the patience of our members as we work through these final stages of the restoration process.

Governor's Press Office

• Governor DeSantis sent a letter to President Donald Trump formally requesting an expedited Major Disaster declaration as Florida responds to Hurricane Sally impacts. The letter requested all programs under Individual Assistance and all categories of Public Assistance for the incident period beginning Monday, Sept. 14.

• The letter requests the declaration for Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties.

• On Thursday, Sept. 17, Governor DeSantis held a press conference regarding Hurricane Sally at Pensacola Aviation with Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault and Congressman Matt Gaetz.

• 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.
• Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast dispatched 11 civilian personnel and one military officer from Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, today, as part of a CERT to help survey damage caused by Hurricane Sally onboard NAS Pensacola.

Pensacola Area Chamber Of Commerce

Operations at the Pensacola fuel terminal are fully staffed and operating but still not fully effective due to some long loading terminal lines, some road traffic and bridge closures. Florida Highway Police/local police escorts were provided last night for one site due to street closure. Our facility has power and media indicates they are expecting power to be mostly restored for Pensacola by Monday.

For businesses having issues with insurance claims, visit PrepareFL.com for information or call the CFO Helpline at 1-877-693-5236. To report price gouging, call the Attorney General's Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-966-7226.

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 p.m. 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 a.m. until curfew.
• All Wal-Marts and Wal-Mart Markets are open.
• Walgreens 6314 N 9th Ave Open 24 hours · (850) 479-2544 Pharmacy: Open ⋅ Closes 1:30AM
• Walgreens 700 N Pace Blvd Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 432-3307
• Walgreens 870 E Cervantes St Open ⋅ Closes 12AM · (850) 434-5561 Pharmacy: Closed
• Walgreens 1841 E Olive Rd Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 478-5241
• Walgreens 4497 Mobile Hwy Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 453-4848
• Walgreens 5995 Mobile Hwy Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 454-0254
• Walgreens 20 W 9 Mile Rd Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 479-2354
• Walgreens 2237 W 9 Mile Rd Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 473-0286
• Walgreens Pharmacy at Sacred Heart Hospital 5149 N 9th Ave Ste 1137 Open ⋅ Closes 6PM · (850) 477-7568
• Walgreens Pharmacy 6314 N 9th Ave Open ⋅ Closes 1:30AM · (850) 479-2544
• CVS 3880 N 9th Ave Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 433-6794 Pharmacy: Open ⋅ Closes 8PM
• CVS 2100 W Cervantes St Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 438-1156
• CVS 1101 Scenic Hwy Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 438-0776 Pharmacy: Open ⋅ Closes 8PM
• CVS 6888 N 9th Ave Open 24 hours · (850) 476-0710
• CVS 8100 N Davis Hwy Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 477-2466
• CVS 6025 Mobile Hwy Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 458-9818
• CVS 811 North W Fairfield Dr Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 453-3208
• CVS 1 E 9 Mile Rd Open ⋅ Closes 9PM · (850) 475-1000
• CVS Gulf Breeze, FL · In Dolphin Square Open ⋅ Closes 12AM · (850) 934-0030 Pharmacy: Open ⋅ Closes 10PM
• CVS 13430 Innerarity Point Rd Open ⋅ Closes 10PM · (850) 492-3800
• CVS Pharmacy 6888 N 9th Ave Open 24 hours · (850) 476-0710
• FloridaDisaster.Biz Open/Close Status: https://www.floridadisaster.biz/BusinessOpenCloseStatus

For more information about assignment of benefits, Go to Preparefl.com or call 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236). Make sure you read and understand anything in writing before you sign any document. You may potentially be signing away certain rights with decisions by insurance companies.

Peoples Water Service Company of Florida

• Peoples Water Service Company has issued a system-wide Precautionary Boil Water Notice to its customers. 
• Customers 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.  If you have any questions, please contact us at (850) 455-8552.

The Santa Rosa Island Authority 

• The Santa Rosa Island Authority regular scheduled committee meeting for Wednesday, Sept. 23, has been postponed to Wednesday, Sept. 30.
• The Santa Rosa Island Authority will be opening to the leaseholders/public on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
• The Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center will resume normal business hours tomorrow, Sept. 21, however it will be in a virtual setting for the week. Beginning Monday, September 28th, the office will be open to the public once again.

Waste Services
As Escambia County continues its recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Sally, Escambia County residents that can safely do so are asked to place any storm-generated debris on the public right of way. 

The public right of way is the area of residential property that extends from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole or easement. Residents are urged to separate the debris as follows:

• Vegetative Debris (whole trees, tree stumps, tree branches, tree trunks and other leafy material)
• Construction and Demolition Debris (damaged components of buildings and structures such lumber and wood, wall board, glass, metal, roofing materials, tile, furnishings, and fixtures)
• Appliances and White Goods (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, ovens, ranges, washing machines, clothes dryers and water heaters)
• Electronic Waste (computers, televisions, office electronic equipment, etc.)
• Household Hazardous Waste (materials that are ignitable, reactive, toxic or corrosive such as paints, cleaners, pesticides, etc.)

Only loose debris will be collected; bagged debris should not be placed on the public right of way.  Make every attempt to avoid stacking debris below low hanging power or utility lines.

Do not place debris within four feet of:

• Mailboxes
• Water meters
• Fire hydrants
• any other above-ground utility

Only debris placed on the public right of way will be eligible for collection until further notice.

If all debris is not picked up during the initial pass, please continue to push remaining debris to the right of way for collection on subsequent passes. 

United Way

For people living outside the northwest Florida area seeking information on resources for friends and family members post Hurricane Sally may access the direct dial number to reach 211 Northwest Florida - regardless of where they live!

They can either dial the toll free number of 855-420-8689 or visit www.211.org and enter the city and state for the area they are seeking information on.

UWF

• The University has extended its closure through 4:59 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, to allow the University and UWF community time to regain power and continue the cleanup process. Only essential personnel and residential students are permitted at UWF locations at this time.

• The University remains closed and will resume operations at 5 a.m. on Thursday, September 24 unless otherwise notified by the University. Only essential personnel and residential students are permitted at UWF locations at this time. 

• Academics: All courses, including online courses, are cancelled until Thursday, Sept. 24. All assignments, exams, virtual and in-person courses are suspended during this time. 

• Power has been restored in all residence halls and the Villages on UWF’s Pensacola Campus. The University remains closed through Thursday, Sept. 24, at 4:59 a.m. to complete cleanup efforts.

Pensacola Christian College

• Pensacola Christian Academy will reopen for school on Monday, September 21.

• Pensacola Christian College will resume classes and reopen all work areas on Monday, September 21.

Pensacola State College

All classes and class activities at Pensacola State College have been suspended until Monday, Sept. 28. 

Employees are asked not to come on any PSC campus unless they have been notified to do so by their supervisors.

Academic leadership is working on plans that will allow all faculty and students to resume classes no later than Monday, Sept. 28. 

Further updates will be sent as we know more or if recovery occurs sooner than expected. For updates, go to PensacolaState.edu. 

Generator Safety Tips and Precautions

• It is important that generators be operated properly. Do not operate gas generators indoors because of carbon monoxide. Please follow this link for more information and to learn the dangers of carbon monoxide. http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2020/09/091520-carbon-monoxide-dangers.pr.html
• Do not drive or walk through standing water. Power lines could be down and cause electrocution.

• 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.

• 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.

Storm Debris Burning

• Burning large debris left from a hurricane can be dangerous. Many residents open windows to get air circulation in their homes due to power outages, and burning large trees and limbs as well as other debris, creates large amounts of smoke which can travel into homes.
• Burning insulation and roofing creates very toxic smoke.
• Burning large trees and limbs and branches can also create sparks that go airborne and land on your home.
• Burn laws are still in place before, during, and after a hurricane. Know your local burn ordinance.
• Children should never be allowed to burn debris and should leave any type of burning to an adult.

Tips on choosing a contractor:
News release encouraging residents to be cautious of unlicensed contractors  

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.

Submitting A Flood Insurance Claim Tips

• Take Photos: Before you start cleaning up after a disaster, take photos of all storm-related damages to your home.
• Make A List: During the cleaning process, take note of lost or damaged items and gather any original receipts for these items.
• Call Your Insurance Agent: After gathering necessary documentation, call your insurance company to submit a claim.

Report Price Gouging

• Report fraud by calling the Price Gouging Hotline at 866-9 - NO-SCAM (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

• Escambia County Sheriff’s Office: 850-436-9630
• Florida Highway Patrol: 850-484-5000
• Pensacola Police Department: 850-435-1900

Utilities

• AT&T: 888-757-6500
• Central Water Works (Century): 850-256-3849
• Central Water Works Sunshine State One Call (call before you dig): 811
• Emerald Coast Utilities Authority: 850-476-0480 is working again
• Escambia River Electric - Co-op outages: 877-687-3732
• Escambia River Electric - Gulf Power outages: 800-487-6937
• Escambia River Electric - ESP Gas: 850-474-5307
• Gonzalez Utilities: 850-968-5434
• Farm Hill Utilities (Cantonment): 850-968-2573
• Gulf Power outages: 800-487-6937
• Molino Utilities: 850-587-5538
• Pensacola Energy: 850-474-5300
• Peoples Water: 850-455-8552
• Town of Century (water/natural gas): 850-256-3208

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.
• You can help aid in the recovery by donating to UWWF’s Hurricane Sally Relief Fund. Text 850RELIEF to 41444 or visit www.uwwf.org/850RELIEF.