Latest Update From Escambia Emergency Operations Center
August 23, 2008
Below is the latest update from the Escambia Emergency Operations Center:
Escambia County Emergency Operations
o Emergency Management Officials are continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Fay.
o The Emergency Operations Center is partially activated at this time.
o There are no evacuations or protective actions at this time.
o The public will be advised as soon as any decisions are made.
o The declaration of local state of emergency was signed at 10:20 a.m. Friday,
August 22, 2008.
o A declaration of local state of emergency allows the county to implement
protective actions if needed.
Escambia County School District
o Officials are continuing to monitor the situation.
o A decision on closings has not been made at this time.
Beaches
o Officials would like to remind everyone to stay out of the water at least through
Wednesday. There is a high risk of rip currents during this storm.
o Lifeguards will be patrolling tomorrow.
o Expect Red Flags Conditions (no swimming) for Sunday.
Shelters
o American Red Cross opened a shelter at Pensacola High School Gym at 1:00
p.m. on Saturday, August 23.
o A nurse will be on duty for special needs patients.
o As of 3:30pm, there were 14 people and 2 special needs patients with care givers
utilizing the shelter.
o Pensacola High School is located at 500 West Maxwell Street, Pensacola.
Pensacola Regional Airport
o The airport will remain open.
o Travelers should confirm flight status through the individual carriers.
Health & Safety
o When driving, always be aware that the road bed under flood waters may be
severely damaged.
o NEVER drive through flooded roadways. Remember that it takes only two feet of
water to carry away a vehicle, including pickups and SUVs.
o When walking, do not attempt to cross flowing streams. Remember that it takes
only six inches of rushing water to knock an adult off his feet.
o If your vehicle stalls, get out immediately and go to higher ground.
o Be extra cautious at night, when it is harder to see possible flood dangers.
o These four words could save your life: TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT)
o The Beach Trolley Service on Pensacola Beach will not operateSunday.
o All other mass transit services will operate as scheduled until further notice.
University of West Florida
o The campus plans to remain open through the weekend.
o Classes will be held as scheduled on Monday.
o For more information, please visit http://uwfemergency.org.
Pensacola Junior College
o 9th Avenue Campus
PCAT test scheduled for Sunday, 8/24/08 will be cancelled,
Motorcycle Safety class # 8000 schedule for 8/22/08 – 8/24/08, the
outdoor portion has been cancelled.
o Milton Campus
Computer lab and Life Center will be closed 8/23-24/08.
Department of Solid Waste Management
o All Recycling Bin sites are open and ready for use.
Utility Information
Fay Related Cancellations, Notices
August 23, 2008
(Updated 2:50 p.m.) NorthEscambia.com will keep you updated with any cancellations or other notices related to North Escambia and Tropical Storm Fay. If your group, business, church or organization would like to make the public aware of any cancellations or changes due to Tropical Storm Fay, email news@northescambia.com.
The following cancellations or event changes have been announced:
- The Century Branch Library closed early at 1:00 Saturday afternoon.
- Several inbound and outbound flights have been canceled at Pensacola Regional Airport.
- The Panhandle Equine Rescue meeting that was scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 at Fran’s Country Grill in Molino has been postponed until a later date.
- Pensacola Little Theatre is postponing its 2008 Crystal Awards and Volunteer Appreciation Party, which was to take place on Saturday, August 23.The Crystal Awards Ceremony and Reception will now take place on Sunday, August 31, beginning at 2:30pm, at the Pensacola Cultural Center, 400 South Jefferson Street.
- Northwest Florida Defensive Pistols Shooters Inc. has canceled Saturday’s IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) match at the Escambia River Muzzle Loader’s shooting range. The next match is scheduled for the 3rd Sunday in September.
- ECAT: All mass transit services will operate as scheduled until further notice, including the bus to and from Century, except for: Normal bus service (route 61) to and from Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach will operate until 8:00 p.m. Saturday. The Beach Trolley Service on Pensacola Beach will not operate Saturday or Sunday.
- UWF plans to remain open through the weekend. Classes will be held as scheduled on Monday.
Getting Ready For Fay
August 23, 2008
Pictured above: Part of the school district’s preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fay was in the installation of storm shutters at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo.
If you have photos related to Fay that you’d like to share, email them news@northescambia.com
Sandbags Available Saturday In North Escambia
August 23, 2008
Escambia County will provide sandbags to residents that need them beginning Saturday in North Escambia and other locations in the county.
Sandbags and sand will be available beginning at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at:
- Century Road Camp, 4901 Camp Road, near Bratt
- Old Molino School, 6450 Highway 95A, Molino
- Road Department, 601 N. Highway 297-A, Cantonment
- Turkey Farm Square, corner of Madrid & Plaza in Cantonment
- John R. Jones Athletic Park, 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway
- Brent Ballpark, 4711 N “W” Street
- Baars Field, 13001 Sorrento Road
There is a limit of 25 bags per family. Residents should bring their own shovels and are responsible for filling their own bags with sand.
Bags and sand will also be available at the Road Department location only on Friday afternoon until 4:00.
One Shelter To Open In Escambia
August 23, 2008
The American Red Cross will open a shelter at Pensacola High School at 1:00 this afternoon.
A nurse will be on duty for special needs patients.
Pensacola High School is located at 500 West Maxwell Street, Pensacola.
Local State Of Emergency Declared
August 23, 2008
Escambia County has declared a local state of emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Fay.
The Escambia County Commission made the declaration in an emergency meeting this morning at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. The declaration allows the county to make preparations in advance of and during the storm, and issue local declarations as needed. The declaration also served to partially activate the county’s Emergency Operations Center. That may be upgraded to a full activation of the EOC later today.
The county has not opened any shelters or ordered any evacuations at this time. The primary threat from Fay, the county says, will be coastal, lowland and river flooding.
NorthEscambia.com will continue to keep you updated on Fay throughout the weekend.
If your business, church, organization or other group has a closure or schedule change due to the storm, email news@northescambia.com so we can pass that information along.
Saturday Last Day For Early Voting
August 23, 2008
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David H. Stafford confirmed that the county’s four early voting locations will be open Saturday, as previously scheduled, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Although no changes to the regular Election Day schedule for Tuesday are anticipated, given the uncertainty of the weather situation early next week, voters are encouraged to take advantage of early voting on Saturday.
The sites for early voting are:
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor
- Supervisor of Elections Annex, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Tyron Branch Library, 5740 North 9th Avenue
On Election Day, Tuesday, August 26th, the polls will be open from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. For further information on absentee ballots, sample ballots, precincts and polling locations, please contact the elections office at (850) 595-3900, or visit their website at www.EscambiaVotes.com.
Learn To Read Volunteer Workshop Saturday
August 22, 2008
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida, a nonprofit adult literacy program in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, will have a workshop to train volunteers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Century Family Practice Building, 7600 Mayo Street in Century.
The workshop will train volunteers to teach adults to read and write.
For reservations or more information, call Edna Earle Barnes at 256-0880 or visit www.learntoreadnwf.org.
County To Hold Emergency Meeting On Tropical Storm Fay
August 22, 2008
The Escambia County Commission will hold an emergency special meeting this morning to determine if a local state of emergency should be declared in advance of Tropical Storm Fay.
The commission will meet in the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center at 10 a.m. for a conference call with the National Weather Service and the county’s emergency leaders. A local state of emergency would allow the county to institute protective actions if needed.
Escambia Emergency Management officials are continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Fay. There are no evacuations or protective actions in place at this time. There will be school at all Escambia County public schools on Friday.
“The forecast path is forecasted to come through Escambia County beginning sometime Saturday and into Sunday,” John Dosh, chief of the county’s emergency management agency, said. “It will be a depression. It will not be a tropical storm at present forecast track.”
“Our concern is not so much the wind, but the rain,” Dosh said. “We could receive in excess of seven to 10 inches of rainfall over the weekend. That is our main concern at this point.
If some computer models are correct, the storm might stall in our area until Monday or Tuesday.
“That could potentially be even more rain,” Dosh said.
Today Is Last Day To Request Mailed Absentee Ballot; Early Voting Continues
August 20, 2008
Wednesday is the last day for voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for the August 26 Primary Election, and early voting is continuing in the county.
Voters wanting an absentee ballot must request their ballot no later than close of business today. Voters can make their request by contacting the Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone (850-595-3900), e-mail (absentee@escambiavotes.com), fax (850-595-3914), or by using the online form at www.EscambiaVotes.com. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and the address where the ballot should be mailed.
Voters will still have the ability after Wednesday to pick up an absentee ballot in person from the Elections Office, up to and including Election Day. Voted absentee ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, August 26th.
Early voting is offered in four locations in the county until Saturday; the closest to North Escambia is in Cantonment. Early voters can cast paper ballots using the county’s new optical scanners, and can choose any of the four sites.
The sites for early voting are:
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor
- Supervisor of Elections Annex, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Tyron Branch Library, 5740 North 9th Avenue
Early voting began Monday and will continue each day through Saturday, August 23rd from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m..
By the end of the day Tuesday, about 2,700 people had cast early ballots in Escambia County.