Santa Rosa Isaac Update

August 28, 2012

This is an archived story.

Ÿ        Santa Rosa is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning.

Ÿ        A Tornado Watch is in effect until 7 p.m.

Ÿ        The Citizens Information Line is open. Citizens may call (850) 983-INFO (4636) with questions.

Ÿ        The Navarre Beach Bridge will remain open until the onset of sustained tropical storm force winds, which is 39 MPH.

Ÿ        Evacuation orders will not prevent residents or businesses from securing or accessing their property on Tuesday morning.

Ÿ        Beachgoers, swimmers and surfers should heed the double red flag warnings and stay out of the water as deadly rip currents and rough surf conditions are present.

Storm Information as Currently Forecasted by the National Weather Service

Ÿ        Current projections indicate a category 1 hurricane at landfall.

Ÿ        Tuesday afternoon winds of 30-40 mph sustained winds with 50 mph gusts are expected.

Ÿ        Storm surge is currently forecasted to reach three to five feet.

Ÿ        Rainfall is forecasted at five to six inches over the next two days.

Ÿ        Rough surf and dangerous rip currents will continue as swells off of Isaac move up to the coast.

Ÿ        Tornado risks will increase as the system approaches the coast.

Actions Taken by Santa Rosa County

Ÿ        A local state of emergency was declared at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 26. Declaring a local state of emergency allows the county to make formal requests to the state and FEMA for assistance.

Ÿ        The emergency operations center is currently activated at a level two and will remain so overnight.

Ÿ        Santa Rosa County officials have issued a mandatory evacuation order for Evacuation Zones A & B including all mobile homes, RV parks, campgrounds, those living in low-lying areas and all of Navarre Beach.

Ÿ        The Citizens Information Line is open 24-hours a day.

Ÿ        Tolls on Garcon Point Bridge are waived until further notice.

Ÿ        Over 10,000 sandbags and 200 cubic yards of sand have been distributed to sandbag sites.

Ÿ        The Citizen Information Center has taken over 400 calls since opening on Monday, Aug. 27.

Public Schools

  • Due to the fact a Tropical Storm Warning may still be in effect on Wednesday morning with winds exceeding 39 MPH making the transporting of students hazardous, the school system will be closed on Wednesday, August 28. Parents and students should prepare to attend school on Thursday, August 30

County Offices

Ÿ        County offices, including the library system are closed on Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29. Offices will open on Thursday, August 30.

Ÿ        The Central Landfill will be open on Wednesday, August 29 at 7 a.m. or as soon as weather conditions allow.

Ÿ        County parks and the Navarre Beach Pier will close on Wednesday, August 29. They will reopen on Thursday, August 30 weather conditions permitting.

Ÿ        The MSBU Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 at 6 p.m. will be continued until September 4 at 6:30 p.m. immediately after the scheduled Budget Public Hearing in the board room located at 6495 Caroline St., Milton. This means the August 28 hearing will not take place.

Ÿ        Santa Rosa Transit will suspend bus service for Wednesday, August 29 resuming service on Thursday, August 30.

Traffic Conditions

Ÿ        South Garcon Point Road is closed due to water on the roadway.

Ÿ        The National Park Service closed J.E. Bowden Way or Hwy. 399 at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Ÿ        The stormwater pumping stations on East Madura and West Madura have been shut down due to storm surge intrusion into the drainage system. County personnel are monitoring the areas and will turn the pumps on when the storm surge is not longer impacting the drainage system, which will likely be sometime Wednesday.

Ÿ        Bridges will be closed at the onset of sustained tropical storm force winds, or 39 MPH.

Ÿ        Residents are asked to stay off the roads on beginning Tuesday afternoon.

Ÿ        Any closures will be announced as they occur.

Power Outages

Ÿ        Please do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages. Power outages should be reported to Gulf Power at 1-800-GU-Power (1-800-487-6937) or Escambia River Cooperative, Inc. at 1-877-OUT-EREC (1-877-688-3732).

Ÿ        Outages as of 9 a.m. for Gulf Power:

o       Bay – 6

o       Walton – 9

o       Santa Rosa –  2

o       Escambia – 41

o       Okaloosa – 47

Shelters

Ÿ        Milton Community Center located at 5629 Byron Street in Milton is open as both a special needs and general shelter. No other shelters are open at this time. DO NOT CALL schools for shelter information.

o       Current shelter population: 68 including shelter staff

Ÿ        Additional locations will be announced as they open. All designated shelter locations may not open. Please monitor the local media for announcements for specific shelter openings.

Ÿ        Shelters are opened to ensure your safety. Please remember they are crowded and usually uncomfortable. It is recommended that other arrangements be made to stay at a hotel or with a friends or family in a well-constructed home out of the evacuation area that is properly protected to withstand hurricane force winds.

Ÿ        Anyone needing transportation assistance to a shelter, call (850) 983-4636.  We will only provide transportation to a designated shelter.

Evacuations

Ÿ        Residents living in the mandatory evacuation areas are reminded that you need not travel outside the county. It is often easier to shelter with family or friends who live outside the called evacuation zones, a hotel or a public shelter.

Ÿ        To find out if you live in an evacuation zone, visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/gis and enter your address.

Ÿ        Visit www.floridaevacuates.com for state-wide evacuation & shelter information.

Ÿ        Tips for evacuations can be found online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/news/factsheet/2012%20Disaster%20Guide.pdf#page=12

Health Department

Ÿ        Santa Rosa County Health Department locations have suspended client services, except for those individuals with an immediate need.

Ÿ        All clinic locations will be closed on Tuesday, August 28.  The health department will resume normal hours of operation in conjunction with the reopening of Santa Rosa County Offices.

Pensacola State College

Ÿ        Pensacola State College is closed on Tuesday, Aug. 28, and Wednesday, Aug. 29.  Unless the situation changes, Pensacola State will reopen for classes Thursday, Aug. 30. If plans change, the College will notify students, faculty and staff through email, social media, and the College web site.

Ÿ        Deadline to drop and add classes will be extended through the end of the day, Friday, Aug.  31.

University of West Florida

Ÿ        Due to Tropical Storm Isaac, UWF has cancelled classes through Wednesday August 29th.

Ÿ        Classes will resume Thursday August 30, weather permitting.

Ÿ        The Department of Housing & Residence Life encourages residents to leave campus during the three day closure, if they can safely travel home or to another location.

Southend Garbage Pickup

Ÿ        Residential pickup in the southend franchise area, generally Navarre and the unincorporated areas of Gulf Breeze, has been cancelled for Tuesday, August 28.

Ÿ        Waste Pro and Waste Management will resume garbage collections on the next routine garbage collection day. There will be a makeup collection day on Saturday, September 1 for recycle and yard waste collections.

Santa Rosa County Court System

Ÿ        Please be advised that the Santa Rosa County courts will be closed Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29.   We will resume regular business hours Thursday.

Ÿ        Criminal Traffic arraignments scheduled for August 28 at 8:30 a.m. have been rescheduled for September 4 at 8:30 a.m. and Misdemeanor arraignments scheduled for August 28th at 1:30 p.m. have been rescheduled for September 7th at 1 p.m.

Ÿ        Judge Rimmer Felony Court scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 at 9 a.m. is rescheduled for August 20 at 9 a.m.

Ÿ        Court schedule for Wednesday, August 29 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. are rescheduled for September 25 at the same time as previously scheduled.

Ÿ        Jurors scheduled for trials on August 28 and August 29 will be sent a new schedule.

Ÿ        County Court Division I VOP’s scheduled for August 29 at 8:30 a.m. have been rescheduled to September 5 at 8:30 a.m. and County Court Division II Motion Hearings scheduled for August 29 at 9 a.m. have been rescheduled to September 7 at 10:30 a.m.

First Judicial Circuit Courts

Ÿ        Escambia County will be closed Tuesday, August 28.  No decision has been made regarding Wednesday at this time.

Ÿ        Persons scheduled for Plea Day before Judge Williams on Tuesday, August 28 have been rescheduled to Friday, August 31 at 1 p.m.

Ÿ        Persons scheduled for Docket Day before Judge Shackelford on Tuesday, August 28th have been rescheduled to Thursday, August 30 at 8:30 a.m.

Ÿ        Santa Rosa County will be closed Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29.

Ÿ        Walton County will be closed Tuesday, August 28.

Ÿ        Okaloosa County courts will be closed Tuesday, August 28.

Ÿ        If you were scheduled for any matter not included in the rescheduled events above, please contact your attorney concerning your rescheduling.  If you do not have an attorney, please contact the court for a new date.

Ÿ        Please continue to monitor your local media as well as the courts web site at: www.firstjudicialcircuit.org for updates.

City of Gulf Breeze

Ÿ        The city transfer station will not be open on Tuesday.

Ÿ        Yard waste pickup is postponed until Saturday.

Ÿ        As a general precaution, the City has postponed the normal yard waste collection Wednesday, August 29 to Saturday, September 1.  DO NOT place yard waste curbside until after the threat of storm has passed.

City of Milton

  • The City of Milton offices, parks and facilities will be closed on Tuesday, August 28 and will remain closed until further notice based on the effects of the storm.
  • There will be no garbage pickup scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29.  Please do not put out any roll-outs as this could be a potential hazard due to high, gusty winds.

Baptist Hospital

  • Baptist Health Care facilities continue to be fully operational to care for hospitalized patients and those seeking care in our emergency departments.
  • Elective and diagnostic services at Baptist, Gulf Breeze, Jay and Atmore Community hospitals; The Andrews Institute; and Baptist Medical Parks on Nine Mile Road and in Navarre will resume normal business hours on Wednesday, Aug. 29. These services include those for physician appointments, physical therapy, lab, imaging and urgent care.
  • Today, in Atmore, Ala., ACH Family Physicians and ACH Primary Care offices are open normal business hours with limited services.

Florida Forest Service

Ÿ        Blackwater River State Forest will be closed to camping beginning Monday August 27 and day use areas will be closed Tuesday, August 28 until further notice.

Ÿ        Forest Service offices in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties will be closed Tuesday.

Gulf Island National Seashore

Ÿ        Gulf Islands National Seashore closed at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26 in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Escambia counties.

Sand & Bags

Sand and sand bags are available at local home improvement stores for purchase. Santa Rosa County is making limited supplies available at no cost at several locations. Residents should bring shovels and be prepared to fill and load their own bags. County and fire department staff ARE NOT available to make home deliveries.  If fire department staff are on calls, they will not be available to hand out sand bags.

Ÿ        Sand only is available at the following locations while supplies last.

o       Tiger Point Park-1370 Tiger Park Lane, Gulf Breeze

o       The intersection of Pine Forest Road and Carroll Road in Milton

Ÿ        Empty Sandbags (25-bag limit per vehicle) while supplies last at:

o       Midway Fire District Station at 1322 College Pkwy.

o       Midway Fire District Station at 1801 Abercrombie Rd.

Ÿ        Sand & Sandbags (25-bag limit per vehicle) while supplies last at:

o       Pace Fire Rescue District at 4773 Pace Patriot Blvd.

o       Holley-Navarre Fire District at 8618 East Esplanade St. starting at 2 p.m.

Price Gouging Hotline

Ÿ        Report any suspected price gouging by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). Florida law prohibits     extreme increases in the price of essential commodities such as food, water, hotels, ice, gasoline, lumber and     equipment needed as a direct result of an officially declared emergency.

General Safety Information

Ÿ             www.santarosa.fl.gov or follow us on Twitter at @SRCBOCC

Ÿ             Please monitor your home weather radio and local media outlets for the most up-to-date information.

Ÿ             Your best defense in any disaster is a NOAA Weather radio.

Ÿ             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:  www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency/publicwarning.html

Comments

3 Responses to “Santa Rosa Isaac Update”

  1. Laura Mixson on August 28th, 2012 11:22 am

    As we all prepare for this storm and the effects it will have on our lives and property, it disturbs me that the Caribbean Resort would take their temporary beach structures and instead of securing them within their own property, dump them on the dunes next door… When did it become o.k. to cover your own butt at the expense of your neighbor?

  2. William on August 26th, 2012 8:13 pm

    >>>Santa rosa is under a Hurricane Warning and has been since All hurricane warning were started.

    Thanks. I overlooked that mistake in the county’s release.

  3. WEW on August 26th, 2012 8:10 pm

    Santa rosa is under a Hurricane Warning and has been since All hurricane warning were started.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive