Century’s Only Shelter Is Officially Closed; Evacuees To Be Bused To Bratt

February 24, 2011

Century’s only hurricane shelter has now officially been closed, and a plan has been created to bus any Century hurricane evacuees nine miles away to Northview High School.

Carvery/Century K-8 School closed as an educational facility in May, 2009, but has remained available as an evacuation shelter until this month.

The Escambia County School District will no longer keep kitchen facilities, emergency food commodities and janitorial supplies available at the Century shelter, according to John Dosh, Escambia County Emergency Management director.

“Up until now, the building has been available as a shelter,” Dosh said Wednesday. “But without food and supplies, it is no longer a viable shelter and feeding space.”

Dosh said the American Red Cross, which provides logistic support for the shelter, is unable to support the Century shelter without supplies stored at the facility. He said that the shelter is “so far removed” that it could be impossible for the Red Cross to serve the shelter with a mobile feeding unit after a major storm.

“Century residents needing shelter will be encouraged to use Northview High School in the future,” Dosh said. A plan has been formulated for Escambia County Area Transit  (ECAT) to provide buses that might need transportation from Century to Northview High School in Bratt.

Northview’s shelter has food, supplies and cooking facilities available on site when it is opened for evacuees seeking refuge from hurricanes or other emergencies.

Comments

28 Responses to “Century’s Only Shelter Is Officially Closed; Evacuees To Be Bused To Bratt”

  1. David Huie Green on February 26th, 2011 2:07 pm

    REGARDING:
    “the kids at Byrneville don’t even have a gym, They exercise on a concrete ground. When it rains they’re in a small portable. hmmm Why don’t they have a gym? and the play equipment is small a slide no swings and a few other things”

    How many elementary schools have gymnasiums? (gymnasia?)

    Byrneville has what Byrneville bought or was donated to them. The tooth fairy didn’t bring them other stuff.

    David wondering
    why Byrneville doesn’t have lots of stuff,
    oh wait, no I don’t; I understand there is no magic.

  2. wonder on February 26th, 2011 9:59 am

    ok this is a better building than bryenville y dont they move or put another charter school there instead of a empty building just saying the kids at b ville dont even have a gym they exercize on a concret ground when it rains there n a small portable hmmm y dont they have a gym and the play equipment is small a slide no swings and a few other things

  3. Century girl on February 25th, 2011 5:50 pm

    Actually, the town of Century did open up the old middle school for a cold weather shelter one or two nights one weekend in 2009, but since it wasnt advertised…no one came.

    Besides, even if other cities don’t do it… does that mean we cant be different? Why not think OUT of the box for a change??

  4. ArmyCptswife on February 25th, 2011 3:14 pm

    Right, I knew about that one. But there again in never came in my parents home and it was built in 1905 in that area…… A lot of areas were severely affected, but that block where the school sits now. : )

  5. art on February 25th, 2011 2:36 pm

    you would have to have been born some time before 1929 to remember the last time century flooded, but it did. ( http://www.northescambia.com/?p=7334 ) all i am saying is go uphill when you hear of record rainfall amounts coming and/or storm surge associated with hurricanes, please.

  6. ArmyCptswife on February 25th, 2011 2:04 pm

    Also to Art,

    I lived within one block of century elementary school, and my parents still do. Being 40 years old and riding out several hurricanes, we have never had a flood. I guess I would have to go back to the early 1900’s and before to check, but that has never really been an issue.

  7. ArmyCptswife on February 25th, 2011 2:00 pm

    I agree with “local yocal”. Once they closed the schools, the small town of century’s heart is starting to fade. It all started with Century High School years ago. Now they don’t even have a shelter in their own area. They have to be bused out. It is so sad.
    Also, not everyone from Century is on drugs or selling them, those people are EVERYWHERE! I know a lot of people from Century who are hard working citizens. Yes, there are a lot of people on, and selling ,drugs. Brat, Bryneville and other areas are just more spread out so you don’t see it really. There is no real town,or city, per sea. I can guarantee you it is there. Just look at all the rest in good ol’ Molino and surrounding areas.
    The shelter loss is sad though.

  8. art on February 25th, 2011 9:29 am

    century sits on the escambia river at 27 foot elevation. bratt is 272 foot. in case of torrential rain associated with hurricanes and possible flooding associated with hurricanes i can see another reason to relocate a shelter at northview instead of century. just saying. am i missing something?

  9. William on February 25th, 2011 7:04 am

    To “Century girl” –

    Escambia County does not open cold shelters. The ones you hear announced on TV are in Santa Rosa County and operated by a group of churches, not SR county.

  10. Century girl on February 25th, 2011 1:45 am

    It amazes me that the shelter is just now being announced to be “officially ” closed when if I am not mistaken it was not opened since Hurricane Dennis., and neither has Northview. In 2008, we had a few tropical storms….no shelters. Another, best kept secret! If it’s not announced then people surely cannot come!

    The past two winters, with very cold low temps….No Shelters announced in the Northend of the county! The last time shelters were announced on Channel 3…nothing listed for the northend-Nothing!

    As for transportation, the entire northend should lobby for equal access to public transportation. Buses running north & south are a start, but there should be small buses to provide transportation to and from shopping areas, hospitals, doctors, & groc stores etc. Our Tax Dolllars help support ECAT..we should have equal access here!

  11. Little B on February 24th, 2011 6:26 pm

    If I were in Bratt when a storm hit, I would walk to Century, shelter or not.

  12. David Huie Green on February 24th, 2011 5:30 pm

    REGARDING:
    “This will work well until there is a hurricane…another Katrina where people are left waiting for buses??!!”

    There were several problems with Katrina.

    The people who were told to leave but stayed did so for two main reasons:
    1. They were afraid their neighbors would loot their homes if they left
    2. They hoped to loot their neighbors’ homes if they left.
    (They were right.)

    And then there’s the problem with their distrust of government while being totally dependent on government for their survival. Government helps you as best it can but when push comes to shove, you really need to take care of yourself, walk uphill for example. Katrina was gone ere the town drowned, parts never went under, they could have walked there.

    And let us not forget that they were living below water level to begin with. If the water gained entry on a clear day, they would still be up the creek without a paddle. Century at least isn’t already under water.

    And they elected a levee board which decided to take the money the federal government gave them to maintain the levees and bought casinos with it.

    I wish nobody ill, but they brought it on themselves and I hope the Mexicans will build a better place than was destroyed.

    David for self-help plans

  13. Sandra on February 24th, 2011 4:32 pm

    Free transportation to the shelter……….mental image of the superdome after Katrina.

  14. whitepunknotondope on February 24th, 2011 3:29 pm

    Just leave the door unlocked, we’ll bring our own food!

  15. art on February 24th, 2011 11:17 am

    another reason it makes sense to have it at northview: google a map of escambia county. you have two main highways that take you away from the gulf. hwy 4 connects them and northview is about half way between, so people coming from either route has equal distance (about) to get to northview. this is just another way of looking at things without getting all emotional about it.

  16. Becky in Bratt on February 24th, 2011 10:45 am

    No@hmmm stupid behavior does not pass by Bratt, but I will stand by my statement it is not welcome here just as I am sure it is not welcome in Century either or for that matter anywhere…………

  17. just tired on February 24th, 2011 10:41 am

    Responding to Local Yocal comments:
    The reason Century is losing everything is because of one thing and one thing only. When Century is looked at demographically, it’s the racial makeup of the town (59% black and 37% white) that dictates whether or not we will continue to have the basic things that most communities have; things that Century use to have. Our legislators will not spend money on a town that has been labeled as a drug haven, a town whose majority of the population is minority. Sure, Century has drug dealers and drug users, but no more than most other places. Century has a lot of hard working, upstanding law abiding citizens. It makes me angry when people try to portray Century as a drug town.
    And to Becky, if you think for one minute that Bratt do not have any druggies(crystal meth), then you are really nieve! And to Elisabeth, thank goodness they didn’t offer EWMS as a shelter because they shouldn’t even have kids attending school in that run down place. The residents of Century has not asked anyone to let them come to Northview, even when they made the decision to bus our children out there, we didn’t have any say in the matter.

  18. Jane on February 24th, 2011 9:50 am

    This will work well until there is a hurricane…another Katrina where people are left waiting for buses??!!

  19. Hmm.. on February 24th, 2011 9:43 am

    problem* not proble. :)

  20. Hmm.. on February 24th, 2011 9:41 am

    Wow, Becky. I’m so glad to know that Century consists of druggies and trouble makers. How nice of you to say that about an entire town, and then talk about Bratt as if anyone that resides there and has a drug proble or a record *HAS* to be from Century because no one could do those things and be from Bratt. Give me a break.

  21. art on February 24th, 2011 9:38 am

    doesnt it seem reasonable to have the shelter where there is emergency food and working food facilities why the debate?

  22. Oversight on February 24th, 2011 9:13 am

    Resident has a good point, why does Century get special treatment with free transportation to the only northend shelter?

  23. Elizabeth on February 24th, 2011 8:41 am

    Look on the bright side: they could have made EWMS the new shelter. :)

  24. Becky in Bratt on February 24th, 2011 7:18 am

    Maybe we will get a Post Office soon and our address can reflect the place we live which is BRATT FLORIDA not Century Florida…..welcome all who want to behave, druggies and other trouble makers please feel free to remain in your own town.

    In the likeness of David H Green (Becky getting up to go to work because I don’t get any free stuff)

  25. DONT UNDERSTAND on February 24th, 2011 7:04 am

    ANOTHER THING CENTURY DOES NOT HAVE. ITS A SHAME THAT SOMEONE THAT CALLS CENTURY THEIR HOME HAS TO GO TO ANOTHER CITY FOR SHELTER WHEN THERE IS PERFECTLY A GOOD BUILDING FOR EVACUEES IN CENTURY. LOCAL YOCAL WAS RIGHT ONCE YOU TAKE A SCHOOL OUT OF A COMMUNITY. THERE IS NO COMMUNITY. I KNO THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH THE MAYOR CAN DO BUT HE NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. THIS TOO IS MAKING HIM LOOK BAD.

  26. Resident on February 24th, 2011 7:02 am

    And the whining begins. But let me be the first to point out that Northview is in the east-west center of the county. People in Century think it’s on “the other side” in far west.

    Nine miles is reasonable in a non-urban area, and Century isn’t any different than the rest of us. It’s 9 miles from Century to Northview. It’s also 9 miles from Walnut Hill to Northview, and 11 miles from Nokomis to Northview, and 9 miles from McDavid to Northview.

    John Dosh, where is the bus to transport residents of Walnut Hill, Nokomis and McDavid to the shelter? Why does Century get preferential treatment? Residents of Nokomis pay the same taxes.

    If Century wants a shelter, tell ‘em to quit whining, get off their behinds and grab a shovel. Quit listening to their begging. Poor, poor Century.

  27. Local Yocal on February 24th, 2011 5:44 am

    This is so sad- How does a place with one caution light and no gas stations continue to grow and a City with an infrastructure, on a main transportation corridor continue to die?
    It was said before- a school is the heart and soul of a community-no school- no future for your town or its people. The day the ECSB closed the schools in Century- they signed its Death Warrant….

  28. Name (required) on February 24th, 2011 12:13 am

    9 miles is not very far… seems reasonable.