Perdido Elementary/Middle School Veterans Program To Be Held Friday
November 10, 2009
Perdido Elementary/Middle School has rescheduled their annual Salute to Veterans program and reception for Friday morning at 8:30.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Barry Booth, Vietnam Veteran and Alabama’s Veteran of the Year. Dr. Booth has been the instrumental force in the organization of the South Alabama Honor Flight program. The school will be presenting the Honor Flight program a check in memory of Marine Bruce Ferrell, who was killed in Afghanistan in August of this year.
All Veterans and their immediate families are invited to attend. For further information contact the school at (251) 937-8456.
Road Closures Escambia, Santa Rosa
November 10, 2009
Just one road in North Escambia is closed following Ida, but there are several closed across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Pinoak Lane, a road that frequently floods, is closed in the Cantonment area.
Escambia County Road closures include:
- Navarre Beach Road- at the “S” Curve
- Ft. Pickens Road – From Pensacola Beach to Ft. Pickens Point
- Corto Road
- Rio Vista
- Pinoak – both lanes closed
Once Santa Rosa road is closed:
- Gulf Boulevard/399, west of the Santa Rosa County line near Opal Beach is currently impassible.
In Santa Rosa County, the following roads have standing water:
- Ward Basin Road at Brown Fish Camp
- Madura
- Coquina
- Andrew Jackson
Most Gulf Power Customers Back On
November 10, 2009
Gulf Power has completed its restoration of scattered power outages caused by Tropical Storm Ida.
“All that’s left are a handful of isolated outages” said Sandy Sims, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We want to thank our customers for their patience and thank our crews who worked safely throughout the night and this morning to restore power.”
At the height of the storm last night, around 5,000 of Gulf Power’s 429,000 customers – a little more 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.
Gulf Power brought in 175 contractors to provide additional assistance.
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).
“It’s been a quiet hurricane season and we are glad that Ida did not do much to change that,” Sims said. “Ninety-nine percent of our customers had no outages. But if nothing else, Ida was a good drill for our company and our communities to help be better prepared for the next one.”
ECAT Running Again, Including Century Route
November 10, 2009
All Escambia County Area Transit bus service has resumed, including the Century – Molino – Cantonment route, according to Sonya Daniel, county spokesperson.
The ECAT Century route began service at noon, she said.
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.
