Tropical Storm Karen: Latest Escambia County Specific Information
October 4, 2013
[Updated 10 am] Under the latest advisory, Escambia County remains under a Hurricane Watch. Expected impact from the storm has been downgraded from moderate to minor since the last advisory. However, the track of this storm still seems to be directed at Escambia County. Residents are advised to exercise caution and use their best judgment in preparing for the impacts of this storm.
No evacuations or emergency orders are in effect at this time. All Escambia County government offices are open today as scheduled. There are no shelters open at this time.
Current Forecast*: Southeasterly gale force winds should start affecting our area on Sunday, October 6 at 5 a.m. with storm force winds arriving at approximately11 a.m. when the highest expected wind speeds from Tropical Storm Karen should occur, with top sustained winds from the Southeast potentially reaching 58 mph and gusts near 70 mph. Sustained winds will fall below gale force around 2 pm and will generally be from the north at that time. However, gale force gusts could continue for several hours. Rainfall is expected to be approximately 4.8 inches over the next three days, but could vary significantly depending on speed and direction of the storm.
Some minor residential wind damage may occur from Tropical Storm Karen throughout Escambia County.
Escambia County residents can refer to BeReadyEscambia.com for a complete online disaster guide pertaining to various emergency situations and find information such as:
- Important telephone numbers
- Shelter information and locations
- Disaster preparation shopping lists
- Animal preparedness for pets, livestock and equine
Editor’s note: The “Current Forecast” above is a general forecast for the entirety of Escambia County, including the beaches. Impacts from the storm will likely be less in North Escambia.
National Guard’s Storm Preparations Affected By Government Shutdown
October 4, 2013
As the Panhandle prepares for Karen, the Florida National Guard says preparations have been affected by the partial shutdown of the federal government. The National Guard has about 2,000 full-time federal employees, and half of them are furloughed.
“We will be affected,” National Guard Capt. Melissa DeLeon said Thursday. “Our maintenance guys have been furloughed, so they are currently not here. In normal operations we would be maintaining equipment right now, and we can’t do that, since those soldiers have been furloughed.”
State emergency managers are working with the National Guard to fund the positions in the short-term with state money, and later apply for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Parts of the Panhandle — including Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties — were placed under a hurricane watch after Tropical Storm Karen formed Thursday morning off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. The storm is expected to become a hurricane, before making landfall as a tropical storm this weekend, possibly in Alabama, Mississippi or Northwest Florida.
800 Acres Off Jacks Branch Road Rezoned For Commercial, Other Development
October 4, 2013
The Escambia County Commission voted Thursday night to rezone just over 800 acres off Jacks Branch Road from residential to a variety of zoning districts including residential and retail commercial.
“This is part of the Sector Plan and what we’ve generally thought would be the right direction to be put thing things forward in the future for our community,” said Commissioner Grover Robinson after making a motion to approve the rezoning. “I am excited to see something move forward from this.”
Robinson’s motion passed unanimously.
The property is located at 900 Jacks Branch Road and lies east of Jacks Branch and north of Well Line Road, all to the west of Highway 29. The rezoning was proposed by the DDJ Land Company, LLC, managed by Jerry and Donald Long of Pensacola.
An area of 444 acres, 275 of which are not wetlands, will be rezoned to C-1 (commercial). The area will serve the surrounding area with larger and small scale retail, office and residential use. The center will be designed around pedestrian and utilized plazas and other public space “to create an attractive environment”, according to the application.
A 74 acre area, 60 acres of which are not wetlands, will be rezoned R-4 to allow for neighborhoods comprised primarily of attached single and multifamily residential dwellings. The roads will be designed in a gridded system, with public spaces for civic, community and recreational areas.
A 156 acre area, 65 acres not wetlands, will be zoned V-5. The area would be located in the “rural” area of the development with subdivision that would be clustered single family homes focusing on efficient use of land and infrastructure, conventional large lot development and accessible open space.
A 107 acre parcel, 85 which are not wetlands, will be zoned R-3 with a range of housing types on a gridded block road system.
An R-4 zoned area of 25 acres will provide a housing area of a variety of attached and detached residential homes. Parks, conservation and public spaces are to focal point for the neighborhoods, once developed.
Pictured top: A location map for about 800 acres that was rezoned by a vote of the Escambia County Commission Thursday night. Pictured east: Looking north into the parcel from Well Line Road. Pictured below: Looking east into the parcel from Jacks Branch Road. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Begins District Play
October 4, 2013
The Tate Aggies are riding high on a four-game winning streak, but this week the start district 7A team will play against powerhouse Niceville. At 5-0, the Niceville Eagles have scored 154 points this season while allowing their opponents 58 points.
The Aggies defense has prevented their opponents from scoring a single point in the last two games. Tate’s coach, Ronnie Douglas said after last week’s game that shutting out Pine Forest High School 35-0 was “big”. Tate’s defense held Pine Forest to just 160 yards rushing and only 37 yards passing.
Tate’s workhorse running back Tay Samuel, who has put up big numbers this year, needs another big game to help the Aggies continue their winning streak. Tate’s defense also has to continue limiting their opponent to minimum yards on the ground and in the air in order to win. Tate knows Niceville will be a very different challenge than what the Aggies have faced over the past couple of weeks.
The Aggies will honor their seniors for Senior Night tonight as they play their last regular season home game against Niceville at 7:30 pm at Tate’s Pete Gindl Stadium.
File photo.
Gulf Power, EREC Gear Up For Karen
October 4, 2013
Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric are monitoring Tropical Storm Karen and making preparations should the storm affect our area.
“If we have a direct hit from a Category 1 or strong tropical storm, outages could last two to three days,” said Jeff Rogers, corporate communications manager. “We are making plans to account for all scenarios.”
Line crews are fueling their trucks and warehouses are stocking materials. In addition to Gulf Power crews, about 60 contract line crews and tree trimmer crews are on standby to assist in restoration efforts.
“Our employees are well trained and have the resources to repair our system as soon as the storm has safely passed. We have additional crews and equipment from other electric cooperatives ready to assist if needed,” Said EREC spokesperson Sabrina Owens.
“We are looking at our crew schedules to ensure we have maximum coverage should the storm affect our area,” Rogers said. “We will continue to monitor the storm’s track…and will make preparations based on the landfall of the storm.”
Pictured top: Clint Floyd checks equipment on Gulf Power trucks. Pictured inset: Stewart Cornelius loads equipment on a Gulf Power truck. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Elementary Students Learn Fire Safety (With Photo Gallery)
October 4, 2013
Molino Park Elementary School students learned about fire safety Thursday from members of the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue. The students learned how to get out of their home in the event of a fire and also learned about some of the tools used by firefighters.
Pictured: Molino Park Elementary students learn all about fire safety Thursday morning. Pictured top and inset: The firemen’s helmets were a student favorite. Pictured below: Students use a camera to look for hot spots. Pictured bottom: Students had an opportunity to ask questions. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Get District Win Over The Chipley Tigers
October 4, 2013
The Northview Lady Chiefs earned a district win over Chipley Thursday afternoon at home in Bratt.
Northview beat the Chipley Tigers 21-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-17, 16-14.
Danielle Steadham had one ace, 13 kills, three blocks and 16 digs for the Chiefs, while Kyndall Hall had five aces, three kills, seven assists and eight digs.
The Chiefs are scheduled to host PCC on Tuesday, October 8 for Senior Night. The JV plays at 4:30, following the varsity at 5:30. It is the last regular season game scheduled at home for the remainder of the NHS season.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
High School Football Schedule
October 4, 2013
Here’s a look at the football schedule for tonight in the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- *Northview at Jay, 7 p.m.
- *Bay at West Florida, 7 p.m.
- *Niceville at Tate, 7:30 p.m.
- *Pace at Pine Forest, 7:30 p.m.
- *Mosley at Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
- *PHS at Escambia, 7:30 p.m.
- *Washington at Milton, 7:30 p.m.
- *Navarre at Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
- *Rutherford at Gulf Breeze, 7 p.m.
* denotes district games
ALABAMA
- Flomaton at Sweet Water
- Thomasville at Escambia Co. (Atmore)
- Escambia Academy at Pike Liberal
- T.R. Miller at Cottage Hill Christian
- Excel at W.S. Neal
Scott: FEMA Promises Resources Will Be Available For Karen Despite Gov’t Shutdown
October 4, 2013
Following a briefing with Bryan Koon, the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Governor Rick Scott called FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate Thursday to request that all needed federal resources would be available for Tropical Storm Karen. The storm poses a threat to the Florida Panhandle and could strengthen into a Category 1 Hurricane. A hurricane watch has already been issued for Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Bay, and Gulf Counties.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our citizens. We will not let the government shutdown in Washington in any way hurt our emergency response efforts in Florida. I spoke to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate this evening and got his personal assurance that no federal resource would be denied in response to Tropical Storm Karen, despite the ongoing federal shutdown,” Scott said.
“I have directed the Department of Emergency Management to continuously assess whether federal resources are being withheld because of the shutdown, and the state stands ready to step in to provide any emergency support needed.
“The National Guard has activated 20 guardsmen who will be directing the pre-positioning of equipment and personnel in order to respond to the storm. As we prepare for the potential impact of Tropical Storm Karen, it is imperative that all Florida residents and visitors be prepared. Those in the path of the storm should follow instructions from local officials to ensure safety,” Scott concluded.
The State Emergency Operations Center upgraded to a Level Two activation Thursday as Scott declared a state of emergency in 18 counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa.
Wednesday Night Shooting Under Investigation
October 3, 2013
The investigation is continuing into a Wednesday night shooting outside a home in the 3000 block of East Lakeview Avenue.
The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. as a 58-year-old man was returning home from work. Before the man could get inside, he was shot in the leg by a male who fled the scene on
foot. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
A motive for the incident remains under investigation.
Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Candace Miller (850) 435-1976 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.