Shower And Thunderstorms Likely Today
October 9, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Columbus Day: SShowers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Calm wind.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 85. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Gulf Power Restores 35,407 Customers
October 8, 2017
Gulf Power crews and more than 250 outside crews have restored more than 35,000 outages since Hurricane Nate impacted Northwest Florida. The energy provider said there were fewer outages than expected because of recent modernization the power grid, and because the area did not receive the stronger winds that were originally predicted.
“We’ve made great progress today in getting the lights back on for many of our customers, but we’re prepared for more outages with Nate’s lingering bands still moving through the central and eastern parts of Northwest Florida,” said Kimberly Blair, Gulf Power spokesperson. We will be working day and night until power is restored to every one of our customers.”
After Hurricane Nate made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi early this morning with 85 mph winds, it quickly lost strength as it moved across Northwest Florida and turned to the northeast. As of 1:30 p.m., 1,889 Gulf Power customers, mostly in Okaloosa County, are still without power. All customers in Bay, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties are fully restored from storm related outages. Power is expected to be restored to all Escambia and Santa Rosa county customers by 8 p.m. Areas in Okaloosa and Walton County still experiencing effects of Nate’s last trailing band should expect all storm related outages restored by 10 p.m.
“Restoring power is a team effort and we want to thank our customers because we couldn’t do it without their patience and understanding,” Blair said.
Georgia Power crews from Southern Company and energy providers from Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida are also assisting with power restoration.
Gulf Power will continue to update its customers with timely information through its Gulf Power app, website, news media and social media.
Safety tips for after a storm
* Treat any downed wire as if it is energized because you can’t tell by looking if a downed wire is live or not. Telephone or cable television wires that are touching a power line could become energized and should also be avoided. Call 911 to report the location of any downed lines.
* Don’t attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines. Let our trained work crews perform this potentially dangerous work.
* Stay clear of areas where there is a lot of debris or downed trees because it could conceal an energized power line. Also stay clear of chain link fences which may be energized if touching a downed line.
* If you have an electric generator, please ensure that you have isolated your home or business from the utility electrical service lines by opening main breakers or other devices. Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to our employees working on the lines in your neighborhood. Connect only essential appliances – such as freezers and refrigerators — directly to the generator.
* If your power is off, turn off large appliances and air conditioners and wait 10 to 15 minutes after power has been restored before turning them back on.
* If there is damage to your meter box or the pole on top of your meter box, you must first have an electrician make repairs before we can restore your service.
* If there is flooding in your home or business, we may be unable to restore electric service until the building is inspected by city or county code officials.
* Stay away from areas where our crews are working. If driving, follow road signs, drive cautiously and follow directions in the area of a work crew.
* Please be patient. Our crews will work as fast as safety allows. Before neighborhood lines can be worked on, our crews must first repair larger lines that bring power to neighborhoods.
Pictured: Local contractor, Pike, is among the crews helping Gulf Power with restoring power to Northwest Florida customers. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Restores All Power in Escambia, Few Still Out In Santa Rosa
October 8, 2017
EREC crews have worked throughout the night restoring multiple outages as Hurricane Nate’s wind and rain continued to cause damage to the power system. Crews will continue to work restoring electrical power as quickly and safely as possible.
At 11:45 a.m., EREC reported 16 customers out in Santa Rosa County while all customers in Escambia County have been restored.
Florida Dept. Of Corrections Visitations Canceled For Sunday
October 8, 2017
The Florida Department of Corrections has canceled of all weekend visitation at all institutions in the Florida Panhandle for Sunday due to Nate. This includes the Century Correctional Institution and the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of staff, inmate and public safety, visitation is cancelled in the Florida Panhandle, the FDOC said. This cancellation includes all major institutions, work camps, work release centers and annex facilities.
FDC looks forward to resuming normal visitation as soon as possible, according to a statement released Friday afternoon.
For the list of impacted facilities, visit: www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region1/index.html.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Latest Updates On Hurricane Nate
October 7, 2017
Nate strengthened into a hurricane late Friday night. The latest information on the storm is in the graphics on this page.
See the front page of NorthEscambia.com for additional details on Nate, evacuation information, safety tips and more.
Pre-Storm Tips From Gulf Power
October 7, 2017
Here are some quick pre-storm tips from Gulf Power:
* Turn your air conditioning down to cool down your house. If you keep the doors and windows closed after the storm you can keep your house relatively cool for about 48 hours after the storm.
* Charge up your cell phone before the storm — and anything else that needs to be charged up.
* Keep freezer doors closed and sealed. Well-filled freezers keep most foods frozen two to three days if the door is kept closed. Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings and pack your freezer with as many food items as possible.
* Be prepared to disconnect or shut off any appliances that will turn on automatically when power is restored, including electric space heaters and stoves, washers, dryers, TV’s, microwave ovens, computers, refrigerators and freezers. If not, when power is restored, several appliances may come back on at the same time and overload your circuits, or hot appliances may come on while you’re away or asleep, posing a fire hazard.
* Unplug electronics in your home and place them on sturdy surfaces or relocate them to the highest floor.
* When traveling before or after a storm, be aware of electrical crews working and the potential for down power lines or power poles.
* If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for backup power or make arrangements to relocate when a storm warning is issued.
* If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for a storm, note the locations of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffold are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you’re using – stay at least 10 feet away from the power lines. Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV.
* Most counties will suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you already have trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing loose branches and other debris.
Slight Chance Of Rain Today; Storms By Saturday
October 6, 2017
For the latest Tropical Storm Nate update, click here.
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 85. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Sunday: Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 81. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Columbus Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Nate: The Latest Info
October 6, 2017
Tropical Storm Nate continues to move toward the northern Gulf Coast. The latest information is in the graphics on this page.
On the forecast track, the center of Nate will move over the northwestern Caribbean Sea Friday, and near or over the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and the adjacent islands late Friday or Friday night, and then move into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday.
For local Tropical Storm Nate information from Escambia County, click here.
Tonight’s High School Football Schedule
October 6, 2017
Here’s a schedule of high school football games in the North Escambia area tonight.
For live scores from select games tonight, like our Facebook page or follow @northescambia on Twitter.
FLORIDA
Northview at Jay
Pine Forest at West Florida
Escambia at Navarre
Madison County at Pensacola Catholic
Fort Walton Beach at Gulf Breeze
Crestview at Milton
Tate – Open
ALABAMA
Escambia County (Atmore) at Satsuma
Clarke Prep at Escambia Academy
Flomaton at Mobile Christian
Monroe County at W.S. Neal
Excel at T.R. Miller
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Tropical Storm Nate Begins To Brew
October 5, 2017
Gulf Coast residents are advised to keep an eye on a rapidly growing tropical storm off Central America that could impact Florida this weekend and into early next week.
Gov. Rick Scott said Florida’s Division of Emergency Management is monitoring the system, which became Tropical Storm Nate as of 7 a.m. Thursday.
“This storm has the potential to become a hurricane and impact the Florida Panhandle this weekend, and families must be ready,” Scott said in a prepared statement. “Let’s remember, we are still in the heart of hurricane season and while it’s hard to imagine experiencing another storm right now, everyone has to be prepared.”
Scott will met with local officials Thursday morning at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. Click here for photos and details.
Tropical Storm Nate is forecast by the National Hurricane Center to bring heavy rains to portions of Nicaragua and Honduras through Thursday. And, while expected to strengthen, the size and path of the Nate may be affected by the Yucatan Peninsula or western Cuba before finding the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Kelly Godsey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Tallahassee, said a lot of uncertainty remains about the track of the storm.
“We could see a track that goes as far west as Louisiana and as far east as the west coast of the Florida peninsula,” Godsey said Wednesday. “So, it is a fairly wide area at this point. That’s another good reason why we need to be prepared and get stuff ready if the storm does zero in on the Florida Panhandle and the Florida Big Bend.”
“Residents along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida should monitor the progress of this system for the next several days and heed any advice given by local officials,” according to the local National Weather Service office in Mobile. “Now is the time to look over your hurricane preparedness list and make sure your supplies are well-stocked. If you are heading to the grocery this week, update your emergency kit by adding extra food and water (for you, your family and our pets) to your list.”
