Study: Historic April 2014 Escambia Flood Led To Respiratory Problems
September 20, 2016
The historic flooding that struck the westernmost part of Florida in April 2014 inundated some areas of Pensacola with more than 15 inches of rain in a day and destroyed roads and bridges.
Until recently, however, the health and environmental impact of that devastating flood had not been studied. Dr. Jason Ortegren, an associate professor in the University of West Florida Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, along with UWF graduate students Rebecca Foglietti and Talia Smith, are co-authors of a first-of-its-kind health impact assessment of the extreme flooding that took place in Escambia County from April 28 to May 3, 2014.
They collaborated on the report with the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking program.
“The Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee had already secured a grant from the (U.S Centers for Disease Control) to conduct a health impact assessment somewhere in Florida,” said Ortegren, who is a climatologist and meteorologist. “And they thought that the April-May flood of 2014 served as a good example.”
The health impact assessment is the first done by the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking, said Chris DuClos, the program’s manager.
“We chose UWF to collaborate with because they provided local expertise in pulling and interpreting the precipitation data for Escambia County,” DuClos said.
Ortegren said the UWF team’s work on the health impact assessment included a wealth of mapping and statistical analysis.
“We retrieved the majority, or all, of the environmental data, and that included things like the (Emerald Coast Utilities Authority) data, sewage lift station failures, road and bridge failures,” he said. “We coordinated and worked with the relevant county offices in each case to get whatever data we could to give basically the baseline environmental description against which the health analysts could interpret their results.”
To determine if there were increases in injury, illness, and death as a result of the flooding, data on “reportable diseases, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and deaths that occurred during the flooding event” were compared to a control period in 2008 where there was a normal amount of rainfall.
According to the report, the results of the comparison were “mixed, with some Escambia County ZIP codes showing increased hospitalizations and (emergency department) visits, and some ZIP codes showing a decrease.”
However, the report did reveal that, county-wide, there were increases in the proportion of both “injury and respiratory- related hospitalizations and (emergency department) visits” during the 2014 flooding period. There were 231 hospitalizations and 1,970 emergency department visits related to injury in Escambia County during the flood event. They accounted for 10.9 percent of all hospitalizations and 24.3 percent of all emergency department visits during the five-day period, the report showed.
The health impact assessment includes several policy recommendations, including that electric panels on sewage lift stations be raised above the flood elevation, in order to keep them operational during extreme rainfall events.
For the study, records for 357 lift stations were collected, showing that a total of 31 failed at some point during the five-day period.
Also recommended in the health impact assessment is that environmental sampling be conducted wherever feasible to understand how flood waters are impacting surface and ground water.
“The hopes are first, that some of the findings here actually help reduce health impacts if a similar event occurs in the future in Escambia County, or elsewhere,” Ortegren said. “Second, we hope that we have moved the (health impact assessment) experiment forward. We’ve done a little part in providing an example.”
The final goal, Ortegren, said, is to get the results of the study published.
DuClos said the report will be posted on the Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking website and shared with other agencies including the ECUA and Escambia County government, as well as other county health departments.
Ortegren said working on the report was especially beneficial to the two graduate students who not only got the chance to be co-authors on a government report, but also were able to collaborate with people from different disciplines. Another benefit was the new connections Ortegren and the students made with officials with the Department of Health.
“It just fell into my lap,” Ortgren said of the collaboration. “It was one of the rare instances in which they needed somebody who could do what we do, and they found us.”
Pictured: April 2014 flood damage on Scenic Highway, courtesy Jonathan Thompson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Supports Northview Cheerleaders Headed To Orlando, NYC And London
September 20, 2016
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to make a $500 donation to four Northview High School cheerleaders that were named “All American” and will be taking part in a upcoming parades in two American cities and “across the pond”.
Cheerleader Gabrielle Kline will march in the Walt Disney Thanksgiving Day Parade in Orlando, Peighton Dortch will march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and Autumn Albritton and Mallory Gibson will march in the New Year’s Day Parade in London, England.
The council’s vote will provide $125 toward the trip expenses for each girl. The council made a similar $500 donation last week to five Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders that will also march in the Walt Disney Thanksgiving Day Parade in Orlando.
Pictured top: Four Northview High School cheerleaders explain their upcoming All-American trips to the Century Town Council Monday night. Pictured below: (L-R) Northview High School All American Cheerleaders Gabrielle Kline, Peighton Dortch, Autumn Albritton and Mallory Gibson. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Business Tax Receipts Due In 10 Days
September 20, 2016
Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley mailed Business Tax Receipt (BTR) renewal notices to 23,223 businesses in Escambia County. Businessesare required to renew their BTRs anytime by September 30.
Businesses can make online payments at EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
“Paying online is easy and secure, and there is no wait time,” said Holley. E-checks and credit cards are accepted. Businesses also can make payments by mail or at one of four convenient offices. Customers can now get in line online through QLess, a more convenient way to “wait” in line.
Applications and additional information for BTRs are available at EscambiaTaxCollector.com. If you have any questions or need to make an appointment, visit the website; email us at ectc@EscambiaTaxCollector.com; or call (850) 438-6500 ext. 3252.
Update: Four Arrested For Escambia Beating Death
September 20, 2016
Four people have been arrested in connection with a beating death last week in Escambia County.
On September 15, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 2600 block of Hollywood Avenue where Sabrina McManus was found severely beaten in a parking lot. She was transported to an area hospital were she was pronounced dead.
Michael Culliver, 28, Stanley Olds, 20, Marcus Olds, 24, and Willie Tynell Dixon, 29, have all been arrested and charged with second degree murder.
(This updates a previous story in which Dixon was still wanted.)
FHP Still Looking For Cantonment Hit And Run Driver
September 19, 2016
Authorities are continuing their search for a Cantonment man involved in a May 31 hit and run crash in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 25-year old Colby Chase Myrick was traveling northbound on Wegner Avenue approaching Mintz Lane when he failed to stop at a yield sign and struck a Toyota Avalon driven by 71-year old Elizabeth Harris of Cantonment.
The Toyota left the roadway and struck a concrete table and landscaping at 302 Wegner Avenue, while Myrick fled fled the scene in the Dodge Ram northbound on Wegner Avenue. Harris and her six-year old passenger suffered minor injuries.
Over two weeks later, the 1996 Dodge Ram was located on Well Line Road and positively identified as the vehicle involved in the crash. The vehicle was identified by a piece of the front grill left behind at the crash scene with a chrome skull with two guns mounted to the front.
An arrest warrant was issued for Myrick for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, driving while license revoked habitual, reckless driving with injuries, driving while license expired more than six months and tampering with evidence. He also faces a citation for failure to report a crash and failure to provide insurance in a crash.
Anyone with information on the thee whereabouts of Myrick is asked to call *FHP from a cell phone or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured inset: Wanted suspect Colby Chase Myrick in a January 2016 mugshot. Vehicle photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
September 19, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening- Intermittent lane closures near the U.S. 29/Nine Mile Road overpass as workers prepare the area for the bridge replacement. Lane restrictions are only allowed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) / U.S. 29 Interchange – Drivers will experience the following impacts on I-10 and U.S. 29 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18 through Thursday, Sept. 22.
- The inside lanes of U.S. 29 north and southbound near the I-10 interchange will be closed for drainage improvements.
- The outside lane of I-10 eastbound near U.S. 29 will be closed as crews perform shoulder work.
- The U.S. 29 north to I-10 eastbound ramp will be intermittently closed as crews work on the shoulder of the roadway. Traffic will be detoured north to make a U-turn at Broad Street and access I-10 eastbound.
- I-10 Widening
- Eastbound lane closure just west of the 9th Avenue overpass (mile marker 15) from Friday, Sept. 17 as crews make repairs to damaged guardrail. This will be a nighttime operation.
- Intermittent and alternating lane closures between State Road (S.R.) 291 (Davis Highway/Exit 13) and U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of Monday, Sept. 19 as crews place pavement markers.
- 9th Avenue (S.R. 289)- Southbound lane closure on the south side of E. Jackson and west side of North 9th Avenue from 11 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 21 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 as crews replace a utility pole.
- Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297)- Southbound right turn lane at Walmart will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Monday, Sept. 26 as crews perform construction activities.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Resurfacing – Intermittent and alternating lane closures east and westbound between the S.R. 87 interchange and the Okaloosa County line from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19 through Friday, Sept. 23 as crews perform construction activities. Motorists are reminded the speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH within the lane closure.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Woman Killed In Ninth Avenue Traffic Crash
September 19, 2016
A two-vehicle crash Saturday night on North Ninth Avenue has claimed the life of an Escambia County woman.
Michele Noble, 71, died at a hospital a short time after the crash occurred around 8:15 p.m. on Ninth Avenue just north of Keating Road, said Pensacola Police Officer Jamie Briarton.
Noble was a passenger in a 2011 Nissan Altima driven by her husband, Christian Noble, 60. Briarton said the couple was wearing seat belts. Christian Noble was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The second vehicle was a 1968 Dodge Coronet driven by John Samaras, 26, also of Pensacola. Samaras and two passengers in his vehicle – Jeffrey Skinner, 28, of Elberta, AL, and Ryan Harrington, 24, of Pensacola – were all taken to a local hospital for treatment. Briarton said it has not yet been determined if they were wearing seat belts.
Briarton said Samaras was northbound on Ninth Avenue when he lost control of his car and entered the southbound lane. His vehicle then collided semi-head on with the Altima, which was southbound in the left-hand lane.
Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. Traffic was diverted from the area for approximately four hours.
Northview Sets Homecoming Parade; Entries Now Accepted
September 19, 2016
The annual Northview High School Homecoming Parade has been set for Friday, October 14.
The parade will line up at noon and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here. Entries are due by October 10.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 for more information.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 14 against the Jay Royals.
Pictured: A float in the 2015 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Scott Approves Another $10 Million For Zika Fight
September 19, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott has authorized spending an additional $10 million in state money to help battle the Zika virus, as Congress remains deadlocked about federal funding for the issue.
Scott in June used emergency powers to authorize $26.2 million in state funding, but the number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus has sharply grown and totaled 823 in Florida as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Health.
Scott’s office said the state money will be spent “as needed” on issues such as mosquito abatement, training for mosquito-control workers and the purchase of Zika prevention kits.
President Barack Obama early this year proposed spending $1.9 billion to combat Zika, but Congress has not been able to reach agreement on a funding plan. The virus is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects.
Three travel-related cases of the Zika virus have been reported in Escambia County.
by The News Service of Florida
Bonus Gallery: Northview Chiefs Tribal Beat Band
September 19, 2016
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
