9/26 Hurricane Ian 9:30 a.m. Update

As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, Hurricane Ian is turning north-northwestward and is expected to turn north-northeastward through Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Escambia County is out of the cone of uncertainty, but residents are encouraged to remain weather-aware and weather-prepared.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center has Hurricane Ian located about 90 miles west-southwest of Grand Cayman. Ian is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph and is expected to turn north-northwest Monday afternoon. A turn toward the north-northeast is forecast on Tuesday evening or early Wednesday. Maximum sustained wind speeds are near 75 mph with higher wind gusts. Rapid strengthening is expected on Tuesday. Ian is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday evening when it is near western Cuba.

"I am glad to see we are currently out of the cone, but keep in mind we have been in and out of the cone a couple of times now," said Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins. "It's still too early to let our guard down."

Escambia County Emergency Management is closely monitoring this system. Residents are urged to do the same by monitoring our local media for the most up-to-date forecasts several times a day.

Residents are reminded to follow official sources for storm information such as National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, Escambia County Emergency Management and City of Pensacola.

Residents are encouraged to be one-week ready, 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.

Sand is available now 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 

The sand is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels to one of the following locations. View map of sand locations here.

Follow These Tips to Prepare for a Storm

• Know Your Zone – Find out which evacuation zone you are in and sign up for alerts at MyEscambia.com/BeReady.
• Know Your Home – Is it newly built – possibly rated for a hurricane?
• Know Your Plan – Plan ahead to stay with loved ones, friends or stay at a hotel away from the area, especially if your home is damaged or you live along coastal areas.

Follow these tips to stay safe during severe weather:

• Pay extra attention to local weather reports until the storm has moved through the area. Be sure to keep your weather radio on and your cell phone charged to ensure you can receive weather alerts. 
• With the possibility of high winds, it is recommended that any lightweight outside furniture or equipment be secured.
• Organizations with planned outside activities during this period need to be weather aware and take the appropriate actions.
• In the event of a Tornado Warning, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of your home or building. Stay away from windows.
• Turn around, don't drown: In the event of a roadway covered by water, do not attempt to drive over the flooded road. Water depth may be misleading, and you could end up stranded or trapped.
  

Stay informed with these additional local resources:

• Escambia County real-time road closures map: View Escambia County road closures map online here.
• City of Pensacola real-time road closures map: View City of Pensacola road closures map online here.
• National Weather Service Mobile/Pensacola: weather.gov/mob or facebook.com/nwsmobile
• Pensacola 311 (non-emergencies only): Citizens have three easy ways to contact 311: Simply dialing 311, visiting cityofpensacola.com/311, or by downloading our Pensacola 311 mobile app, available for iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry.
• City notifications: cityofpensacola.com/List.aspx

For the latest information on severe weather impacting Escambia County, residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on MyEscambia.com/BeReady, and follow Escambia County Emergency Management on Facebook and @BeReadyEscambia on Twitter.

Hurricane Ian update from the National Hurricane Center (as of Monday, Sept. 26 at 7 a.m.)