Ida Just a Tropical Depression
November 10, 2009
At 8:30 Tuesday morning, Ida was downgraded to a tropical depression near the North Escambia area. Ida made its landfall as a tropical storm about 5:40 Tuesday morning at Dauphin Island, Alabama. Data from NOAA Doppler radar and surface observations indicate that the center of Ida made its second landfall around 7 a.m. just to the northwest of Bon Secour Alabama.
Maximum sustained winds were at 35 mph with higher gusts. Ida has lost tropical characteristics and its winds are expected to slowly diminish during the next day
or so.
Ida was located about 40 miles west-northwest of Pensacola this morning, the last advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center.. Ida is moving to the northeast near 9 mph. This general motion with a turn toward the east is expected until it
becomes absorbed by a front on Wednesday.
There’s still a chance of more rain today, but most will be drizzle. By tomorrow, Veterans Day, we can expect sunny skies and a high in the upper 60’s.
Latest Escambia County Storm Information
November 10, 2009
Here are the latest Tropical Storm Ida details for Escambia County, Florida (newest information is highlighted in yellow):
Utilities
- Gulf Power
- 325 homes are without power in Escambia County
- Gulf Power expects to have all power restored by midnight
- Report power outages to 1-800-GU-POWER (1-800-487-6937)
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative
- All power has been restored
- Emerald Coast Utilities Authority
- Residential sanitation collections will be cancelled Tuesday, November 10.
- Tuesday collections will be on Wednesday, November 11.
- Wednesday collections will be Thursday, November 12.
- Thursday collections will be on Friday, November 13.
- Friday collection will be on Saturday, November 14.
- Commercial Service for Tuesday will be collected on Wednesday, November 11. All other commercial collections will be on regularly scheduled days.
- Residential sanitation collections will be cancelled Tuesday, November 10.
Shelters
- Shelters will be closing by 9 a.m. Tuesday, November 10
Road Closures
- Pinoak – both lanes closed
Transportation/Bus Services
- Escambia County Area Transit will resume operations on Tuesday, November 10 after all routes have been deemed safe.
Pensacola Beach
- There are extremely dangerous surf conditions at Pensacola Beach. Surfers and swimmers are encouraged to stay out of the water.
- Collections of tolls will resume on Tuesday, November 10.
Traffic Concerns
- If you approach a traffic signal where the power is out please treat the intersection as a four way stop.
- If you approach standing water in the roadways, turn around and take an alternate route.
City of Pensacola
- Normal operations will resume for all departments at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
- Sanitation Services will be closed on Tuesday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 11.
o Tuesday, November 10 will be collected on Thursday, November 12.
o Thursday, November 12 will be collected on Friday, November 13.
o Friday, November 13 will be collected on Saturday, November 14.
o Trash and yard debris collection will resume at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
County Offices
- All Escambia County offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 10 and for the Veteran’s Day holiday, November 11.
- Normal operations will resume on Thursday, November 12.
Citizen Information
- The Citizen’s information phone lines will be closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
- Citizen information phone lines are open. Residents may call (850) 471-6600 with any questions concerning the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida.
Official Escambia County Websites
5,000 Gulf Power Customers Lose Power; 2,000 Still Out
November 10, 2009
Gulf Power expects to restore power to all customers by midnight tonight as damage was minimal from Tropical Storm Ida.
“Our crews will work as fast and as safely as they can to get things back to normal,” said Sandy Sims, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We expect full restoration by this evening, except, possibly, near Panama City, which could take longer as the storm continues to move through that area today.”
At the height of the storm last night, around 5,000 of Gulf Power’s 429,000 customers – less 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.
The minimal damage means repairs should go quickly, with no broken poles, or other major structures damaged. Gulf Power substations remained operating throughout the storm and very few main feeder lines were affected.
As of 6 a.m., 2,000 customers were still out. Gulf Power brought in 175 contractors to provide additional assistance.
“We really appreciate everyone’s patience,” Sims said. “We will be working hard today to get all problems fixed. We encourage everyone to stay safe.”
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).
EREC: All Power Restored
November 10, 2009
Escambia River Electric Cooperative reports that as of 7:35 a.m., there were no power outages among their members in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties.
“We’ve had scattered outages throughout the night, but the crews have been able to repair them as they occurred,” Sabrina Owens, EREC spokesperson said.
“Safety is our primary concern. I am thankful our crews were able to work safely through the night and keep outages to a minimum,” according to Clay Campbell, EREC general manager/CEO.
EREC is a Touchstone Energy cooperative that distributes electricity to approximately 10,000 members in northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida.
ECUA Trash Pickup Schedule
November 10, 2009
Emerald Coast Utility Authority (ECUA) residential and commercial sanitation service collections have been changed for the week as a result of Tropical Storm Ida.
ECUA residential trash pickups will be as follows:
- Tuesday collections will be on Wednesday.
- Wednesday collections will be on Thursday.
- Thursday collections will be on Friday.
- Friday collection will be on Saturday.
ECUA commercial pickups scheduled for Tuesday will be collected on Wednesday. All other commercial collections will be on regularly scheduled days.
Santa Rosa County Storm Information
November 10, 2009
Here is the final Ida information update from the Santa Rosa Emergency Management Agency.
The newest information is highlighted in yellow.
Storm Information as Currently Forecasted by the National Weather Service
· The tropical storm warning has been lifted.
· Coldwater River is expected to crest around midnight Wednesday at four inches above flood stage.
· Flood models for the Blackwater River in Milton are being run by the River Forecast Center, updates will be provided as soon as they are available. At 8 a.m. this morning, it was approximately 2 feet above normal levels, and covered the Riverwalk Boardwalk by roughly 6 inches.
· Residents living near county rivers should monitor the water levels in their area and remember conditions can change very quickly.
Actions by Santa Rosa County
- The emergency operations center will deactivate at 10 a.m.
- Any road flooding will be handled by normal procedures.
- The citizen information line will close at 3 p.m.
Damage Assessments
· Damage assessments were completed this morning, with only minor damage reported.
Road Closures/Traffic Conditions
· Gulf Boulevard/399 west of the Santa Rosa County line is currently impassible.
· Roads with standing water:
o Ward Basin Road at Brown Fish Camp
o Newport Street
o Newport Drive
o Madura
o Coquina
o Andrew Jackson
o Municipal Drive and Elmira Street
o Riverwalk Street at the end of Berryhill Street.
· Driving through rising flood waters is extremely dangerous. Most deaths from flooding in the United States are due to people driving their cars into flooded areas. “Turn around, don’t drown.”
· Any additional closures will be announced as they occur.
Shelters
· The special needs and general shelter at Milton Community Center is closed.
Beach Conditions
· Beachgoers, swimmers and surfers should heed red flag warnings and stay out of the water as deadly rip currents and rough surf conditions are present.
County Offices
· The public presentation of the local mitigation strategy multi-hazard plan and the flood mitigation plan will take place as scheduled tonight at 6 p.m. in the board room of the Santa Rosa County Administrative Center located at 6495 Caroline Street in Milton.
City of Milton
· Russell Harber Landing and Carpenters Park will remain closed through most of the day.
NAS Whiting Field
· Naval Air Station Whiting Field East and West gates to the base are open for return of authorized persons.
· Base personnel should return to work no later than 10 a.m. today.
· Whiting Field services, to include MWR facilities, Navy Exchange, and Commissary should be open by 10 a.m. and will continue their normal operating hours from that time.
· The Naval Branch Medical Clinic will reopen for patients at 7 a.m. Thursday. The pharmacy for the clinic will be able to fill existing prescriptions today, but will not be able to take new prescriptions until Thursday morning.
General Safety Information
· Please monitor your home weather radio and local media outlets for the most up-to-date information.
· Your best defense in any disaster is a NOAA Weather radio.
· Citizens can signup to automatically receive breaking news alerts from Santa Rosa County Emergency Management via e-mail or as a text message on their cell phone at: http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/
All Area Schools Closed Today
November 10, 2009
All schools in the North Escambia area are closed today.
Students will return to school Thursday, following the Veterans Day holiday on Wednesday.
Schools closed in the area include:
- Escambia County (Fla.) public schools
- Escambia County (Ala.) public schools
- Santa Rosa County public schools
- University of West Florida
- Pensacola Junior College
- Escambia Academy
- Temple Christian Academy
- Atmore Christian School
- Baldwin County public schools
Ida’s Center To Pass Over North Escambia; Don’t Expect A Lot More Rain
November 10, 2009
While the center of Ida is expected to pass over the North Escambia area later this morning, don’t expect a lot more rain.
Most of Ida’s rain is well away from the center of the storm. The North Escambia area will see winds increase, but the passage of the storm’s center will not bring heavy rain. Some wrap-around rain behind the storm might bring showers to the area later today, well after the center passes. Otherwise, expect a drizzle to continue.
The worst of Ida’s weather is in central and northern Alabama, even as far away as Huntsville.
Wind, Rain Reports From The Area
November 10, 2009
Here are the wind speeds and rainfall totals from across the North Escambia area as of 6:50 a.m.:
Molino, 6 mph, peak gust 30 mph. 4.28 inches of rain
Cantonment, 22 mph, peak gust 30 mph, (rainfall unavailable)
Jay, 2 mph, peak gust 22 mph, 5.27 inche of rain
Atmore, 16 mph, peak gust 32 mph, 3.29 inches of rain
Do You Have Ida Pictures Or Storm Reports? Send Them In!
November 10, 2009
Do you have Ida pictures? A storm damage report?
Share your photos with our readers by emailing them news@northescambia.com
If you have a storm report, email it, or use the comment form below.