Isaac Making Presence Known With Barrier Island Waves
August 28, 2012
Water is beginning to push onto portions of the barrier islands of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
J.E. Bowden Way — the road from Pensacola Beach to Navarre Beach has been closed. Gulf Boulevard (pictured) on the west end of Navarre Beach has water over the roadway.
Pictured top: Water over Gulf Boulevard on Navarre Beach. Pictured below: A webcam view of Pensacola Beach,courtesy The Island Express, at 9:33 a.m. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The Pensacola Beach Pier is closed.
Escambia County Isaac Update
August 28, 2012
This is an archived story.
Escambia County Information
- The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center will remain activated throughout the evening.
- The County remains under a tropical storm warning, flash flood watch and tornado watch until 7 p.m.
- Road Closures – The following roads have been closed due to flooding:
o Via de Luna, east of Portofino all the way to Navarre – closed in both directions
o Fort Pickens Road
o Gongora Drive (partial)
o DeVilliers (partial)
o South 9th Avenue (partial)
o Baublits Road E & W at the intersection of Kalash N & S
- No bridges in Escambia County are closed or are scheduled to close at this time.
- There are trees down throughout the County. If you find a tree down in the roadway, please call the non-emergency line at the Sheriff’s department at 436-9620.
- If you approach a traffic signal that is out, please treat the intersection as a four-way stop. If the lights are blinking red, stop and yield right-of-way.
- Both Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key have experienced beach erosion due to the storm. County officials will be evaluating the level of damage beginning tomorrow.
- As of 3 p.m., Gulf Power is reporting 836 customers without power.
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative is not reporting any customers without power at this time.
- All Escambia County offices, including the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections and First Judicial Court Operations – including those at Blanchard, Bruno and COB buildings – will be open tomorrow.
- Perdido Landfill and Palafox Transfer station will reopen at normal business hours tomorrow. Drop-off recycling containers will be returned to Pensacola Beach as soon as the storm surge subsides.
- The beaches are currently unsafe for swimmers. If you choose to enter the water, you do so at your own risk. We will continue to see high water even after the winds subside.
- Escambia County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow due to the uncertainty of the weather conditions and the safety of the school buses. Schools will reopen on Thursday.
- Residents can call the Citizen Information Center (CIC), (850) 471-6600, for information.
- EVACUATIONS – Escambia County has reduced its order of evacuation to Zone A only. This includes the barriers islands of Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach as well as low-lying coastal areas. OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY ARE INCLUDED IN THIS EVACUATION ORDER. Please check www.bereadyescambia.com and use the address look up tool to confirm whether or not you are in an evacuation zone.
- Persons who have qualifying medical care needs and who are in need of shelter from the effects of TS Isaac can be admitted to the shelter at Pensacola High School. Pensacola High School is the only shelter currently open for both general population and special needs.
- The University of West Florida and Pensacola State College have cancelled classes through Wednesday.
- ECUA will resume residential and commercial sanitation collection service on Wednesday, August 29.
o Residential routes originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 will be collected on Wednesday, August 29.
o Wednesday collections will be made on Thursday, August 30.
o Thursday collections will be made on Friday, August 31.
o Friday collections will be made on Saturday, September 1.
o Commercial sanitation routes originally scheduled on Tuesday, August 28 will be collected on Wednesday, August 29.
o The normal commercial collection schedule will resume throughout the remainder of the week.
- City of Pensacola sanitation will resume collections tomorrow.
o Routes normally scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 will be collected on Wednesday, August 29
o Normal routes will be run on Thursday and Friday.
- The City of Pensacola will resume normal operations tomorrow, Wednesday, August 29, including the Port of Pensacola and Pensacola International Airport.
- Escambia County Area Transit will resume normal service Wednesday, August 29.
Other Services
- The U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Escambia and Pensacola will reopen on Thursday, August 30 for one day only. The Escambia County Small Business Development Center, 401 East Chase Street, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Center, 8543 Navarre Parkway, Navarre will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need additional information or are unable to visit the center, please call (800) 659-2955.
- ARC Gateway, the ARC Nursery, Pearl Nelson Center, Pollak Training Center and Pollak Industries will be closed Wednesday, August 29 for Isaac. Offices will reopen Thursday, August 30.
- All Lakeview Center outpatient services will resume regular business hours on Wednesday, August 29.
- The Pensacola Bay fishing bridge located next to the 3-Mile Bridge remains closed.
- Gulf Islands National Seashore remains closed. This includes Fort Pickens, Perdido Key, Fort Barrancas, Naval Live Oaks, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa.
Weather Conditions
- Inclement weather should continue throughout the evening, with sustained tropical storm force winds of 42 MPH expected this evening, with gusts to 55 MPH. Tropical storm winds will subside tonight at 9:00 p.m.
- NAS Pensacola is reporting gusts 50 MPH.
- Over the next three days as much as 6.5” of rain may be expected.
- There is a high risk of dangerous rip currents along the beaches of Escambia County. Please follow flag colors. A red flag means the water is closed to swimmers. Double red means the water is closed to everyone.
· Increased surf and tides will run well above normal and bring the potential for coastal flooding and beach erosion. The Panhandle could see 3 to 6 feet of storm surge.
Santa Rosa Isaac Update
August 28, 2012
This is an archived story.
Santa Rosa is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning.
A Tornado Watch is in effect until 7 p.m.
The Citizens Information Line is open. Citizens may call (850) 983-INFO (4636) with questions.
The Navarre Beach Bridge will remain open until the onset of sustained tropical storm force winds, which is 39 MPH.
Evacuation orders will not prevent residents or businesses from securing or accessing their property on Tuesday morning.
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
Current projections indicate a category 1 hurricane at landfall.
Tuesday afternoon winds of 30-40 mph sustained winds with 50 mph gusts are expected.
Storm surge is currently forecasted to reach three to five feet.
Rainfall is forecasted at five to six inches over the next two days.
Rough surf and dangerous rip currents will continue as swells off of Isaac move up to the coast.
Tornado risks will increase as the system approaches the coast.
Actions Taken by Santa Rosa County
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.
The emergency operations center is currently activated at a level two and will remain so overnight.
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.
The Citizens Information Line is open 24-hours a day.
Tolls on Garcon Point Bridge are waived until further notice.
Over 10,000 sandbags and 200 cubic yards of sand have been distributed to sandbag sites.
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
County offices, including the library system are closed on Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29. Offices will open on Thursday, August 30.
The Central Landfill will be open on Wednesday, August 29 at 7 a.m. or as soon as weather conditions allow.
County parks and the Navarre Beach Pier will close on Wednesday, August 29. They will reopen on Thursday, August 30 weather conditions permitting.
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.
Santa Rosa Transit will suspend bus service for Wednesday, August 29 resuming service on Thursday, August 30.
Traffic Conditions
South Garcon Point Road is closed due to water on the roadway.
The National Park Service closed J.E. Bowden Way or Hwy. 399 at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
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.
Bridges will be closed at the onset of sustained tropical storm force winds, or 39 MPH.
Residents are asked to stay off the roads on beginning Tuesday afternoon.
Any closures will be announced as they occur.
Power Outages
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).
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
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
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.
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.
Anyone needing transportation assistance to a shelter, call (850) 983-4636. We will only provide transportation to a designated shelter.
Evacuations
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.
To find out if you live in an evacuation zone, visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/gis and enter your address.
Visit www.floridaevacuates.com for state-wide evacuation & shelter information.
Tips for evacuations can be found online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/news/factsheet/2012%20Disaster%20Guide.pdf#page=12
Health Department
Santa Rosa County Health Department locations have suspended client services, except for those individuals with an immediate need.
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
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.
Deadline to drop and add classes will be extended through the end of the day, Friday, Aug. 31.
University of West Florida
Due to Tropical Storm Isaac, UWF has cancelled classes through Wednesday August 29th.
Classes will resume Thursday August 30, weather permitting.
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
Residential pickup in the southend franchise area, generally Navarre and the unincorporated areas of Gulf Breeze, has been cancelled for Tuesday, August 28.
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
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.
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.
Judge Rimmer Felony Court scheduled for Tuesday, August 28 at 9 a.m. is rescheduled for August 20 at 9 a.m.
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.
Jurors scheduled for trials on August 28 and August 29 will be sent a new schedule.
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
Escambia County will be closed Tuesday, August 28. No decision has been made regarding Wednesday at this time.
Persons scheduled for Plea Day before Judge Williams on Tuesday, August 28 have been rescheduled to Friday, August 31 at 1 p.m.
Persons scheduled for Docket Day before Judge Shackelford on Tuesday, August 28th have been rescheduled to Thursday, August 30 at 8:30 a.m.
Santa Rosa County will be closed Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29.
Walton County will be closed Tuesday, August 28.
Okaloosa County courts will be closed Tuesday, August 28.
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.
Please continue to monitor your local media as well as the courts web site at: www.firstjudicialcircuit.org for updates.
City of Gulf Breeze
The city transfer station will not be open on Tuesday.
Yard waste pickup is postponed until Saturday.
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
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.
Forest Service offices in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties will be closed Tuesday.
Gulf Island National Seashore
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.
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
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.
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
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
www.santarosa.fl.gov or follow us on Twitter at @SRCBOCC
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: www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency/publicwarning.html
Partial Remains Of Possibly 100 People Found In Storage Shed
August 28, 2012
Partial remains of as many as 100 people have been found in storage unit in Pensacola.
The remains were reportedly from private autopsies performed from 1997 to 2007 by a former assistant medical examiner, Michael Berkland. The body parts — including hearts, lungs, brains and tissue samples — were stored in labeled containers and were believed to be from funeral homes in the Pensacola and Panama City areas.
The remains were found at Uncle Bob’s Storage on East Fairfield Drive when a unit was sold at auction. Many containers were labeled with the name or other information that can be used to notify families, but many parts were unlabeled.
The State Attorney’s Office does not believe that the parts were acquired through criminal activity, just through Berkland’s work.
The incident is under investigation by the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office and other agencies to determine if any laws were broken.
James Hilton Morgan
August 28, 2012
James Hilton Morgan, 93, of Walnut Hill passed away Monday, August 27, 2012, in Dothan. He was born January 10, 1919 in Eufaula, Alabama to the late J.P. and Lorena Morgan.
He is survived by his wife, Ardiel Morgan; son, Donnie Baggett and wife, Linda; grandchildren, Kim B. (Ryan) Conner, Shannon (Kellie) Baggett; five great-grandchildren and a host of friends.
Services will be held Thursday, August 30, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the First Assembly of God church in Atmore with Bro. Doug Waters and Bro. Don Byrd officiating. Interment will follow in the Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
Family will receive friends Thursday, August 30, 2012, at the First Assembly of God church from 9 a.m. until service time.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Power Restoration Crews Stream Into The Area
August 28, 2012
About 500 restoration specialists and contractors are rolling into the local area to assist Gulf Power with any outages related to Isaac.
Pictured top: Dominion line crews from Virginia roll into the Gulf Power storm restoration staging area at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds as storm clouds from Tropical Storm Isaac pass overhead Monday. The 54-employee store restoration team completed an 1,200 mile trip after being diverted from Ocala. Pictured below: Heather Madison briefs a Gulf Power storm team Logistics group to coordinate arrangements for the hundreds of out-of-state line crews and contractors assisting with Issac. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Joyce Marie Russell
August 28, 2012
Joyce Marie Russell, 78, of Walnut Hill, passed away Sunday, August 26, 2012 in Pensacola. She was born August 21, 1934 in Frisco City. She was of the protestant faith.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Robert J. Russell of Walnut Hill; three daughters, Deborah Russell (Mack) McLeod of Wacissa, FL; Robyn Russell Stuart of Pensacola and Rochelle Russell (Todd) Pfeiffer of Chatham, IL; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services were held Tuesday, August 28, 2012, at the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. John Cain officiating. Burial was in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Dewey Devon Spicer
August 28, 2012
Mr. Dewey Devon Spicer, age 80, of Century, passed away on Monday, August 27, 2012, at Century Care Center.
Mr. Spicer was a native of Chumuckla and a former resident of Jay before going to Century. During his working years, Mr. Spicer worked as a farmworker. He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Malcolm ‘Junior’ Spicer, Jr. and B.C. Spicer and nephew, Larry ‘PeeWee’ Spicer.
He is survived by his sisters, Shirley Thomas of Pensacola and Mary Ard of Chumuckla; nephews, Tom Spicer and Mike Spicer, both of Chumuckla and Johnny Ray Spicer of Century; and special niece and caregiver, Pat Spicer of Brewton.
A memorial service will be held for Mr. Spicer at a future date.
Flomaton Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
‘Like” NorthEscambia On Facebook
August 28, 2012
Make sure you ‘like” NorthEscambia.com on Facebook for more “live” updates each day.
https://www.facebook.com/northescambia
We are posting several localized updates on Facebook that may not make the more regional updates on NorthEscambia.com and sharing info from other local pages.
Pensacola Beach Readies For Whatever Isaac Brings
August 28, 2012
Preparations for Isaac were underway Monday on Pensacola Beach, including the removal of gondolas from the observation wheel (pictured top). NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
