Michael Forces Hospital, Nursing Home Evacuations; Many To Pensacola
October 13, 2018
More than 30 health-care facilities had to be evacuated as Hurricane Michael damaged buildings and knocked out electricity in the Panhandle, state emergency management officials said Friday. Many of the patients were evacuated to facilities in Pensacola, including over 70 to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior told The News Service of Florida that several small critical-care access hospitals were evacuated before Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday in Mexico Beach, between Panama City and Apalachicola. The powerful Category 4 storm caused widespread damage as it tore through parts of the Panhandle and Big Bend.
Health-care facilities, including the 323-bed Bay Medical Sacred Heart hospital in Panama City, were still in the process of evacuation Friday morning.
Also, an estimated 1,600 residents had been evacuated or were in the process of being evacuated from 14 nursing homes, according to the Florida Health Care Association, a statewide nursing-home group. Ten nursing homes were evacuated before Michael hit, while evacuations began after the storm at the other four facilities.
Senior said all the patients in the intensive care unit at Bay Medical Sacred Heart had been evacuated and moved to other hospitals with the assistance of ambulances. Senior said as of Friday morning that there were “more staff than patients” still at the hospital.
“They were hoping to ride it out,” Senior said of the hospital. “It’s very localized, the damage. I don’t know if it was the storm itself or a tornado.”
Bay Medical Sacred Heart’s website featured a large message Friday morning saying, “For families wishing to locate patients who have been transferred to other hospitals, please call: 1-888-727-4568.”
During a stop Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who lives in Panama City, lamented the damage caused to health-care facilities in the area.
“The way the storm hit, we’re going to have approximately 10 hospitals that are going to have to be evacuated,” Patronis said. “Gulf Coast (Regional) Medical Center where my kids were born, Bay Medical Center where I was born, they’re empty, because they can’t support their mission.”
Senior said Friday the state will shift its focus from helping transfer patients to ensuring that facilities that were evacuated are safe to reopen.
“People think of us as having doctors and nurses,” he said. “But we have architects and engineers and we need to make sure we make the reopening process as smooth as possible and as safe as possible.”
Senior did not immediately know the numbers of patients who were transferred but said the majority involved nursing home residents.
State and local officials have sought to avoid a repeat of problems last year that authorities say led to the deaths of Broward County nursing-home residents after Hurricane Irma. The deaths came after The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills lost its air-conditioning system in Irma.
Overall, thousands of people had been reported missing because of the storm. But the numbers encapsulate all the phone calls that have been made to state and local-law enforcement officials as well as groups such as the American Red Cross.
Crews began search-and-rescue missions Wednesday night in hard-hit areas.
Alan Harris, Seminole County director of emergency management, it’s unlikely the state will have to open a temporary morgue to handle mass casualties.
“We are ready to open up a temporary morgue if necessary, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be needed so that’s an amazing thing,” said Harris, who was working at the State Emergency Operations Center. “We are very, very happy about that.”
Pictured: A patient arrives at Sacred Heart Hospital In Pensacola
Northview Falls To Pensacola Catholic
October 13, 2018
The Northview High School Chiefs played up in class and lost to Pensacola Catholic 41-22 Friday night.
The 1-A Chiefs were coming of a big 30-20 homecoming win last week over Jay, but fell behind early against the 3-A Crusaders. Catholic held a 21-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter, but were held scoreless by the Northview defense in the second quarter. The Chiefs battled back in the last half with 22 of their own — including touchdowns from Seth Killam and Jayden Jackson – in the second half, but they were outpaced by Catholic.
Northview (4-3, 1-0) will head east on Highway 4 next Friday night to face 1-A power Baker. The Gators aren’t just 7-0 on the season, the are riding a 27-game regular season winning streak. Baker’s game Friday night at Chipley was postponed because of Hurricane Michael and no electric power at Chipley.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Power Restoration Could Take Weeks
October 13, 2018
Thousands of Hurricane Michael victims in the Panhandle will be without power for weeks, according to Gulf Power.
Crews restored power to more than 40,000 Gulf Power customers with more than 4,400 storm personnel mobilized and working in the hardest hit areas.
“All of our crews are out working and customers will be seeing more bucket trucks in the hardest hit areas,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We also have drones and helos in the air today to provide us with more detailed reports of our system.”
“Customers in the hardest hit areas should prepare to be without power for weeks. Gulf Power has not given an estimated restoration time for the hardest hit areas including downtown Panama City, Callaway, Parker, Lynn Haven, Youngstown and surrounding areas.
Restoration estimates have been announced for several areas:
- Bay County west of Highway 79 is estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 14.
- Bay County east of Highway 79 to the Hathaway Bridge is estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 15.
- Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties are estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 19.
Tate Volleyball Celebrates Senior Night
October 13, 2018
Tate High School volleyball celebrated Senior Night Friday.
Tate volleyball seniors are Lauren Seibert, Kasey Scott, Karen Hill, Grace Talbert, Claire Robinson and Olivia Oxendine.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
High School Football Finals
October 13, 2018
Here are tonight’s high school football finals from the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Escambia 37, Tate 32 [Read more...]
- Pensacola Catholic 41, Northview 22 [Read more...]
- Washington at Pine Forest, 7 p.m.
- Gulf Breeze 45, Pace 42
- Navarre 49, Milton 12
- Panama City Bay at West Florida – POSTPONED
- Pensacola at Panama City Arnold – POSTPONED
ALABAMA
- Escambia County 24 Andalusia 3
- Escambia Academy 42, South Choctaw Academy 20
- Mobile Christian 16, Flomaton 12
- Thomasville 28, T.R. Miller 12
- W.S. Neal at Williamson, 7 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Michael Recovery Starts Amid ‘Unimaginable’ Destruction
October 12, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott called the destruction from Hurricane Michael “unimaginable,” as “homes are gone, businesses are gone.”
A state emergency-management official said all hospitals in the impacted region have reported some form of “critical failure” — water and sewage problems or infrastructure issues such as crumbling walls — that required patients to be relocated and medical field hospitals to be set up. (Pictured left: A patient from Panama City arrives at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola on Thursday.)
The official said that after Hurricane Irma in September 2017, a field hospital was required in the Florida Keys for a year, and similar situations may be required with Michael.
Similar issues were arising at nursing homes, and crews were flying in supplies to Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee, which serves patients with mental illness.
Meanwhile, the state is expecting a surge in humanitarian needs, from a lack of food and water to housing
Scott traveled Thursday afternoon with the Florida National Guard to Panama City and Mexico Beach, where Michael came ashore midday Wednesday with 155 mph maximum sustained winds, the strongest ever recorded in the region.
Scott, who expressed frustration about people dismissing evacuation orders on Tuesday as Michael rapidly grew into a Category 4 storm, told evacuees not to return home as roads remain closed by flooding, downed trees and power lines.
“It’s going to take some time to survey and clear all the roads,” Scott said.
The Florida National Guard has deployed 3,500 members for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid, with assistance from National Guard units from as far away as New York and Kansas. The Florida Highway Patrol has 450 troopers working in the Panhandle, while 150 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are conducting rescue missions.
Search teams — working by air, boat and on the ground — have entered Panama City, Mexico Beach, Alligator Point, Eastpoint, St. George Island and Apalachicola. The U.S. Coast Guard ran 10 rescue missions into the region Wednesday night.
The Red Cross is bringing in 500 disaster relief workers.
More than 5,000 people were in 34 shelters that have been opened across the region.
by The News Service of Florida
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bodies Of Two Flomaton Residents Found In Texas; Third Resident Still Missing
October 12, 2018
UPDATE — The Junction (TX) Police Department said the bodies of two flood victims were recovered Thursday. Both were reportedly from Flomaton; their names have not been officially released by authorities.
“Search and Rescue operations located two bodies along the edge of the South Llano River approximately nine miles downstream from the South Llano Recreational Vehicle Park in Junction, Texas,” the department said. “…Names of victims will not be released until autopsies have been completed.”
Two other people, one from Flomaton and one from Texas, remain missing.
Previous story:
Three Flomaton residents are among four people reported missing after a flash flood Monday morning in Junction, Texas, about 140 miles west of Austin.
Charlotte Moye, Joey Huss and Mike McGee, all of Flomaton, have not been seen since they were apparently swept away by the South Llano River. Flomaton residents Janet Shultz, Todd Shultz and Darlene Huss were rescued on Monday. Janet Shultz was found about 23 miles downstream and airlifted to San Antonio.
Darin Hartman of San Angelo, Texas, is also still missing, according to local news reports.
Moye had gone to Junction to deliver a vehicle to another family member. The missing were at a RV park next to the river when the waters rose rapidly after a deluge of rain, sweeping everything away.
Numerous Flomaton residents are joining scores of others in the search, including the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife and other agencies. The Junction Police Department said Wednesday that the search and rescue mission will continue for several days.
Pictured: A pickup truck buried by flooding along the South Llano River in Junction, TX. Pictured inset: State crews search from the air Wednesday along the river for four missing people. Pictured below: Vehicles, motor homes and other debris line the river area. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Power Crews Continue Restoration Efforts
October 12, 2018
Crews restored power to more than 25,000 Gulf Power customers without power in the wake of Hurricane Michael, but much work remains to be done in the Panama City area.
With power fully restored to all customers in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, Gulf Power crews, with more than 3,000 storm personnel from around the country, are descending on the Panama City area to begin the restoration and rebuilding process. But customers may not see the bigger bucket trucks with crews working on the streets until roads are cleared and safe.
“Our process following the storm begins with our evaluation teams arriving in smaller trucks that can more easily navigate through debris and damage,” said Gulf Power spokesperson, Jeff Rogers. “Those teams are working to determine the damage to our grid in Panama City, but roads must be cleared and made safe before crews can get their larger bucket trucks in to begin the restoration and rebuilding process.”
Once roads are made safe, and a strategic restoration plan is in place, crews will begin the restoration and rebuilding process. This process begins with transmission lines, which are the larger lines on the taller poles that bring power from Gulf Power’s generating plants to the substations. Planes and drones will be flying the lines inspecting damage and transmission crews will begin making repairs.
While the transmission lines are being inspected and repaired, substation crews will be inspecting and repairing substations. Substations step down the voltage of the electricity from the power plants to a level that powers homes and businesses.
While any repairs are being made to the substations, crews will be inspecting the distribution lines and beginning the restoration process. Distribution lines carry electricity from our substations to homes and businesses.
The strength of Hurricane Michael could mean a rebuild of infrastructure, which may take weeks in the hardest hit areas.
“Gulf Power is committed to restoring power to customers in every community we serve across Northwest Florida,” said Rogers. “We’re in this together, and this is why our crews do what they do — restoring power and hope for our customers.”
Athletes Run Cross Country Meet In Honor Of Breast Cancer Survivors
October 12, 2018
Athletes in cross country meet Thursday afternoon at Northview High School ran in honor of breast cancer survivors, including Athletic Director Obreonne Smith and teacher Vicki Cook.
Results:
Boys:
1st – Northview
2nd – Flomaton
Central ran individuals
Girls:
NHS, Flomaton, and Central ran individuals
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Cross country runners with breast cancer survivor Obreonne Smith (near center with sunglasses) before a cross country meet Thursday at Northview High School (photo by Crystal Godwin). Pictured below. Runners cross the finish line. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Trying To Find Someone Missing After Michael? Florida National Guard Can Help
October 12, 2018
The Florida National Guard has launched a website to report a person missing after Hurricane Michael.
There are serious communications issues, according to the Guard, limiting contact with victims. The State Emergency Operations Center will route the reports to the appropriate local agency for action.