Escambia County offices will be closed for all nonessential personnel, Tuesday, Feb. 16, due to severe weather. The offices listed below will reopen Wednesday, Feb. 17, at their regular times.
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners - All departments, including:
- West Florida Public Libraries (All locations)
- The Escambia County Animal Shelter
- Waste Services Administrative Offices
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Property Appraiser's Office
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller – Finance Offices, Century Office, and Public Records Center
- Potential jurors summoned for jury duty should report at noon.
- Court hearings scheduled prior to 11:30 a.m. will be rescheduled. Please contact the assigned division for new dates and times.
- Court hearings scheduled at 11:30 a.m. or later will proceed as scheduled.
- Escambia County Area Transit Administrative Offices
- Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) will suspend all bus and UWF Trolley service from Tuesday, Feb.16 until noon due to cold weather conditions on the road. Escambia County Community Transportation (ECCT) will also suspend paratransit service on Tuesday, Feb. 16, until noon.
- If weather and road conditions are deemed safe, ECAT will tentatively start bus service at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 16
- If the severe weather and road conditions are still deemed unsafe, ECAT and ECCT will continue suspended bus and trolley service for the remainder of Tuesday, Feb. 16. ECAT will notify the public as soon as possible when the decision is made to continue or cancel service for Wednesday, Feb. 17.
- If you have any questions regarding ECAT bus service, residents may contact ECAT at (850) 595-3228 or visit www.goecat.com
Other Offices
- Escambia County District Schools closed Tuesday, Feb. 16, due to weather.
- Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart will close its COVID testing locations in Pensacola and Tiger Point on Tuesday, Feb. 16, due to the weather.
- All FDOH-Escambia clinics, and other services provided by FDOH-Escambia, will be suspended Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Clients with appointments scheduled during this period may call 850-595-6500 when we reopen Wednesday, February 17, 2021 to reschedule their appointment.
- Community Health Northwest Floridadental services at FDOH-Escambia’s Fairfield Drive Service Cen ter will be closed Tuesday, February 16, 2021 and are scheduled to reopen Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Patients who have appointments in the dental clinic may call 850-912-8880 to reschedule.
- CAN Community Health services at FDOH-Escambia’s Northside Location (8390 N. Palafox St) will be suspended Tuesday, February 16, 2021 and are scheduled to reopen Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Patients who have appointments in the clinic will be contacted 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.
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Emerald Coast Utility Authority: Due to the prediction for icy roads tomorrow morning, the Perdido Landfill will be closed and is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday morning. As a result, ECUA sanitation collections this week will be delayed by one day. Tuesday collections will be made on Wednesday and the remaining weeks' collections will follow in the same manner until all collections are completed on Saturday
Customers may call ECUA Customer Service for more information at 850-476-0480
Bridge Closures/Openings
- Potential bridge closures are difficult to anticipate, but law enforcement will continue to monitor bridge conditions and make determinations based on public safety.
- To check real-time road and bridge closures in Escambia County 24/7, click here. For the City of Pensacola road and bridge closures, click here.
Cold Weather Shelters
- Women and Children (children under 18) tonight and most likely tomorrow: Ensley First Baptist Church, 50 West Johnson Pensacola FL 32534. No pets are allowed; check-in is from 6 p.m. -8:30 p.m. check-out is at 7 a.m.
- Men: Waterfront Rescue Mission, 380 West Herman Street Pensacola FL 32505. There is no fee tonight.
Weather Update from the Emergency Operating Center (Updated Feb. 15 at 5 p.m.)
Severe Weather Warning for Escambia County
Hard Freeze, Dangerous Wind Chills, & Black Ice
Temperatures will plummet tonight into the teens to low 20s across most of the area. Winds will remain elevated as well, leading to wind chills in the single digits to low teens. The overall low temp and wind chill forecast has trended a bit colder. Therefore, we have extended the Hard Freeze Warning and Wind Chill Advisory further east as you can see in the attached updated graphics. Given the widespread rain, any roads that are still wet will likely form black ice tonight as temperatures quickly drop below freezing this evening and drop into the teens and 20s overnight. Any black ice could persist into the Tuesday morning as it will take several hours to increase above freezing.
Driving Safety Tips
Beware of "black ice." On asphalt or dark-colored roads, this ice appears black making it difficult to see. When driving, following these tips:
- Keep at least eight to 10 seconds following distance from the vehicle in front of you
- Don't hit the brakes to avoid a skid. Hold your steering wheel as steady as you can.
- Use extra caution when on our many bridges and overpasses. Bridges freeze before roads.
- Avoid over-correcting your steering if you start to slide or skid.
- If you can wait until it warms up and morning traffic slows down, do so.
Cold Weather Safety
Citizens are also urged to remember the five P's of cold weather safety:
- Protect People: Remember to dress in layers and wear a hat and gloves. It is essential to try to stay out of the wind and to stay dry. Remember to check on young children and the older family and neighbors who are the most sensitive to cold weather. If the temperature cannot be maintained at home, make temporary arrangements to stay elsewhere, including with friends and family.
- Protect Pets: Be sure to bring outdoor pets inside or give them a warm shelter to stay in.
- Protect Plants: Cover cold-sensitive plants to protect them from dangerous temperatures.
- Protect Pipes: Cover pipes and allow outdoor faucets to drip to prevent from freezing and breaking slowly.
- Practice Fire Safety: Use safe heating sources indoors. Do not use fuel-burning devices such as grills; they release carbon monoxide, a deadly gas. Also, make sure to use space heaters according to their instructions and be attentive to open flames. Space heaters need space!
For more information, monitor the local media and legitimate online and social media sources like Escambia County Emergency Management, US National Weather Service Mobile, and Florida SERT.
