No Damage To Escambia Schools
November 10, 2009
The Escambia County School District reports that there was no damage to any of the county’s schools from Tropical Storm Ida.
The School District will remain closed today, Tuesday and will be closed tomorrow, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. Schools will be prepared to open on Thursday and will follow a normal schedule.
Ernest Ward Veterans Program To Be Rescheduled
November 10, 2009
The Veterans Day program planned for Monday at Ernest Ward Middle School will be rescheduled.
Preliminary plans call for the event to be held Friday. EWMS will make an official announcement as soon as possible here on NorthEscambia.com.
Health Alert Issued For All Inland Swimming, Recreation Areas
November 10, 2009
Effective immediately, the Escambia County Health Department is issuing health alerts for all inland swimming and water recreational areas in Escambia County, except those located on the Gulf of Mexico. The health department advises against any water-related activities until a bacteriological survey reveals that the inland bathing areas are safe.
Rainfall from Tropical Storm Ida may have contaminated these waters with sewage and storm water that contains water-borne pathogens. Individuals, especially those with wounds and weakened immune systems, may be at risk of contracting a water-borne disease if they come into contact with these inland waters.
The Escambia County Health Department will assess the safety of swimming areas and notify the public when regularly monitored areas are safe for water-related activities. For more information contact the Escambia County Health Department at 595-6786.
Wind Advisory Issued
November 10, 2009
Wind Advisory in effect until 6 PM CST this evening…
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a Wind
Advisory…which is in effect until 6 PM CST this evening.
Strong winds of 25 to 35 mph…along with occasional gusts to around
40 mph will continue through today as Tropical Depression Ida moves
eastward.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A Wind Advisory means that winds of 25 to 39 mph are expected. Winds
this strong can make driving difficult…especially for high profile
vehicles. Use extra caution.
Escambia County Man Dies From H1N1
November 10, 2009
The Escambia County Health Department has announced the first laboratory-confirmed H1N1 swine flu death in Escambia County.
Monday night, the health department announced the death of an adult male with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 virus as well as underlying medical conditions.
“Our sympathies are with this individual’s family and friends,” said Dr. John Lanza, director of the Escambia County Health Department.
In Florida, 149 deaths have been reported in individuals with laboratory-confirmed H1N1.The health department encourages every resident to know the signs and symptoms of H1N1, treatment, emergency medical warning signs, and how to prevent the disease.
Signs & Symptoms
Common symptoms of influenza are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and in the case of the H1N1 virus, diarrhea and vomiting.
Treatment
Most individuals who become sick with H1N1 flu will recover by caring for themselves at home although there are individuals at higher risk (see below). Individuals who think they have influenza should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medication or if they need to seek medical care. At-home treatment includes:
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Wear a facemask – if available and tolerable – when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others. This is especially important if other household members are at high risk for complications from influenza.
Prevent H1N1
While vaccination continues for most of the federally-designated priority groups, residents not in those priority groups, can take the following steps to prevent H1N1 until vaccine is available to them.
- Wash your hands often and the right way. Rub soapy hands together for 15 seconds (if you need a timer, imagine singing the “ABC’s” song). Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and touch the bathroom doorknob.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Wash your hands after using the bathroom, before and after preparing food, before and after taking care of someone who is sick, after changing diapers or cleaning up after a child who has gone to the bathroom, after handling an animal or animal waste, after touching potentially contaminated surfaces such as public door knobs, cart handles and money, and when your hands are visibly dirty.
- Stay home if you are sick. Keep children home if they are sick. Stay home until 24 hours after last fever without fever reducing medications. Avoid others who are sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue. If you don’t have a disposable tissue handy, cover or sneeze into the fabric on your sleeve.
- Get your seasonal flu vaccination. As long as there is seasonal flu vaccine available, it is strongly recommended that individuals get their seasonal flu shot as well as the “pneumonia shot” for individuals with chronic disease and individuals 65 years and above.
Escambia Shelters Now Closed
November 10, 2009
The three storm shelters in Escambia County have closed.
About 130 people weathered Tropical Storm Ida in Escambia County Shelters overnight, and another 40 were in a Santa Rosa County shelter.
There were 23 people and a small number of pets in the pet-friendly shelter at Molino Park Elementary School and 35 in a shelter at Pensacola High School. There were also 75 people in the West Florida High School special needs shelter.
Another 40 people were in Santa Rosa County’s public shelter at the Milton Community Center.
Ida Just a Tropical Depression
November 10, 2009
At 8:30 Tuesday morning, Ida was downgraded to a tropical depression near the North Escambia area. Ida made its landfall as a tropical storm about 5:40 Tuesday morning at Dauphin Island, Alabama. Data from NOAA Doppler radar and surface observations indicate that the center of Ida made its second landfall around 7 a.m. just to the northwest of Bon Secour Alabama.
Maximum sustained winds were at 35 mph with higher gusts. Ida has lost tropical characteristics and its winds are expected to slowly diminish during the next day
or so.
Ida was located about 40 miles west-northwest of Pensacola this morning, the last advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center.. Ida is moving to the northeast near 9 mph. This general motion with a turn toward the east is expected until it
becomes absorbed by a front on Wednesday.
There’s still a chance of more rain today, but most will be drizzle. By tomorrow, Veterans Day, we can expect sunny skies and a high in the upper 60’s.
Latest Escambia County Storm Information
November 10, 2009
Here are the latest Tropical Storm Ida details for Escambia County, Florida (newest information is highlighted in yellow):
Utilities
- Gulf Power
- 325 homes are without power in Escambia County
- Gulf Power expects to have all power restored by midnight
- Report power outages to 1-800-GU-POWER (1-800-487-6937)
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative
- All power has been restored
- Emerald Coast Utilities Authority
- Residential sanitation collections will be cancelled Tuesday, November 10.
- Tuesday collections will be on Wednesday, November 11.
- Wednesday collections will be Thursday, November 12.
- Thursday collections will be on Friday, November 13.
- Friday collection will be on Saturday, November 14.
- Commercial Service for Tuesday will be collected on Wednesday, November 11. All other commercial collections will be on regularly scheduled days.
- Residential sanitation collections will be cancelled Tuesday, November 10.
Shelters
- Shelters will be closing by 9 a.m. Tuesday, November 10
Road Closures
- Pinoak – both lanes closed
Transportation/Bus Services
- Escambia County Area Transit will resume operations on Tuesday, November 10 after all routes have been deemed safe.
Pensacola Beach
- There are extremely dangerous surf conditions at Pensacola Beach. Surfers and swimmers are encouraged to stay out of the water.
- Collections of tolls will resume on Tuesday, November 10.
Traffic Concerns
- If you approach a traffic signal where the power is out please treat the intersection as a four way stop.
- If you approach standing water in the roadways, turn around and take an alternate route.
City of Pensacola
- Normal operations will resume for all departments at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
- Sanitation Services will be closed on Tuesday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 11.
o Tuesday, November 10 will be collected on Thursday, November 12.
o Thursday, November 12 will be collected on Friday, November 13.
o Friday, November 13 will be collected on Saturday, November 14.
o Trash and yard debris collection will resume at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
County Offices
- All Escambia County offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 10 and for the Veteran’s Day holiday, November 11.
- Normal operations will resume on Thursday, November 12.
Citizen Information
- The Citizen’s information phone lines will be closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
- Citizen information phone lines are open. Residents may call (850) 471-6600 with any questions concerning the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida.
Official Escambia County Websites
5,000 Gulf Power Customers Lose Power; 2,000 Still Out
November 10, 2009
Gulf Power expects to restore power to all customers by midnight tonight as damage was minimal from Tropical Storm Ida.
“Our crews will work as fast and as safely as they can to get things back to normal,” said Sandy Sims, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We expect full restoration by this evening, except, possibly, near Panama City, which could take longer as the storm continues to move through that area today.”
At the height of the storm last night, around 5,000 of Gulf Power’s 429,000 customers – less than 1 percent — were without power. Some of the damage was tree-related and involved fuses, transformers and some wire down, which is similar to damage from an afternoon thunderstorm.
The minimal damage means repairs should go quickly, with no broken poles, or other major structures damaged. Gulf Power substations remained operating throughout the storm and very few main feeder lines were affected.
As of 6 a.m., 2,000 customers were still out. Gulf Power brought in 175 contractors to provide additional assistance.
“We really appreciate everyone’s patience,” Sims said. “We will be working hard today to get all problems fixed. We encourage everyone to stay safe.”
Sims said if customers have not yet called to report a power outage, they should do so today to help workers pinpoint individual problems. The number to call is 1-800-GUPOWER (487-6937).
EREC: All Power Restored
November 10, 2009
Escambia River Electric Cooperative reports that as of 7:35 a.m., there were no power outages among their members in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties.
“We’ve had scattered outages throughout the night, but the crews have been able to repair them as they occurred,” Sabrina Owens, EREC spokesperson said.
“Safety is our primary concern. I am thankful our crews were able to work safely through the night and keep outages to a minimum,” according to Clay Campbell, EREC general manager/CEO.
EREC is a Touchstone Energy cooperative that distributes electricity to approximately 10,000 members in northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida.