Escambia Schools: Teachers, Staff Work On Monday, Kids Tuesday
October 8, 2017
Escambia (FL) Schools will be in session as previously planned this week.
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has confirmed that all ECSD plans for a professional development day for teachers and staff will continue as scheduled for Monday. Staff and teachers should plan to attend professional development training sessions on Monday, as planned, he said.
Also as previously scheduled, students will not attend school on Monday, Columbus Day. All bus routes and classes will resume Tuesday morning at regular times.
Gulf Power Restores 35,407 Customers
October 8, 2017
Gulf Power crews and more than 250 outside crews have restored more than 35,000 outages since Hurricane Nate impacted Northwest Florida. The energy provider said there were fewer outages than expected because of recent modernization the power grid, and because the area did not receive the stronger winds that were originally predicted.
“We’ve made great progress today in getting the lights back on for many of our customers, but we’re prepared for more outages with Nate’s lingering bands still moving through the central and eastern parts of Northwest Florida,” said Kimberly Blair, Gulf Power spokesperson. We will be working day and night until power is restored to every one of our customers.”
After Hurricane Nate made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi early this morning with 85 mph winds, it quickly lost strength as it moved across Northwest Florida and turned to the northeast. As of 1:30 p.m., 1,889 Gulf Power customers, mostly in Okaloosa County, are still without power. All customers in Bay, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties are fully restored from storm related outages. Power is expected to be restored to all Escambia and Santa Rosa county customers by 8 p.m. Areas in Okaloosa and Walton County still experiencing effects of Nate’s last trailing band should expect all storm related outages restored by 10 p.m.
“Restoring power is a team effort and we want to thank our customers because we couldn’t do it without their patience and understanding,” Blair said.
Georgia Power crews from Southern Company and energy providers from Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida are also assisting with power restoration.
Gulf Power will continue to update its customers with timely information through its Gulf Power app, website, news media and social media.
Safety tips for after a storm
* Treat any downed wire as if it is energized because you can’t tell by looking if a downed wire is live or not. Telephone or cable television wires that are touching a power line could become energized and should also be avoided. Call 911 to report the location of any downed lines.
* Don’t attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines. Let our trained work crews perform this potentially dangerous work.
* Stay clear of areas where there is a lot of debris or downed trees because it could conceal an energized power line. Also stay clear of chain link fences which may be energized if touching a downed line.
* If you have an electric generator, please ensure that you have isolated your home or business from the utility electrical service lines by opening main breakers or other devices. Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to our employees working on the lines in your neighborhood. Connect only essential appliances – such as freezers and refrigerators — directly to the generator.
* If your power is off, turn off large appliances and air conditioners and wait 10 to 15 minutes after power has been restored before turning them back on.
* If there is damage to your meter box or the pole on top of your meter box, you must first have an electrician make repairs before we can restore your service.
* If there is flooding in your home or business, we may be unable to restore electric service until the building is inspected by city or county code officials.
* Stay away from areas where our crews are working. If driving, follow road signs, drive cautiously and follow directions in the area of a work crew.
* Please be patient. Our crews will work as fast as safety allows. Before neighborhood lines can be worked on, our crews must first repair larger lines that bring power to neighborhoods.
Pictured: Local contractor, Pike, is among the crews helping Gulf Power with restoring power to Northwest Florida customers. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Restores All Power in Escambia, Few Still Out In Santa Rosa
October 8, 2017
EREC crews have worked throughout the night restoring multiple outages as Hurricane Nate’s wind and rain continued to cause damage to the power system. Crews will continue to work restoring electrical power as quickly and safely as possible.
At 11:45 a.m., EREC reported 16 customers out in Santa Rosa County while all customers in Escambia County have been restored.
Tree Crashes Through Cantonment Home
October 8, 2017
A Cantonment woman escaped injury when a large tree fell into her home early Sunday morning — one of the very few damage reports received from Hurricane Nate in the North Escambia area.
The woman said the tree came crashing down just a short distance from where she was sleeping; she had to push branches out of her way to escape.
The home is located on Bob White Lane off East Kingsfield.
For additional photos, click here.
Aside from power lines, a few downed trees and scattered items such lawn furniture and trash cans, no other significant damage has been reported in North Escambia.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Jay Woman Killed In Highway 89 Crash
October 8, 2017
A Jay woman was killed in two vehicle accident Saturday afternoon south of Jay.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 42-year old Kara Milstid was traveling east on Country Road 178 a in her 2007 Ford Fusion as a 2001 GMC Sierra driven by 39-year old Michael Rasmussen of Jay was southbound on Highway 89 . Milstid failed to yield the right of way, entered the intersection and struck the pickup truck before continuing across the intersection and into a concrete culvert and a dirt embankment.
Milstid was pronounced deceased following the 2:27 p.m. crash. Rasmussen was transported to Jay Hospital with minor injuries.
File photo.
Escambia County: Final Nate Update
October 8, 2017
Here is the final update on Nate issued by Escambia County:
Current Situation
- The Citizen Information Line is closed.
- Individuals in Escambia County who need help with home damage directly resulting from Hurricane Nate may call Northwest Florida 2-1-1 for referral to organizations that MAY be able to assist. To access, dial 211, if in Escambia County, Florida at the time of the call.
- The toll on the Bob Sikes Bridge Toll Plaza will be reinstated at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8.
- Red flags are flying on Pensacola Beach. Red flags represent high surf and/or dangerous currents. No swimming or wading in the Gulf of Mexico
- The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center has returned to level 3 operations, or monitoring with normal day-to-day staffing levels, at noon, Sunday, Oct. 8.
- There currently is not expected to be any significant river flooding. Emergency management will continue to monitor local rivers.
Damage Assessments
- Pensacola Beach experienced minor beach erosion with an estimated 250,000-450,000 cubic yard loss of sand.
- Perdido Key had no damage, but experienced some minimal sand shifting.
- Escambia County and City of Pensacola crews have finished their initial assessments, with no significant damage to report.
- Fire crews responded to 13 storm-related calls over night. This included power arching, downed power lines, alarm systems and one downed tree on a home located in the 2300 block of Bobwhite Lane. No injuries were reported.
Reporting County Issues
- Residents can request non-emergency services for road issues, Pensacola Beach resident services, stormwater maintenance and much more through Ask MyEscambia, a mobile and web application. Ask MyEscambia can be accessed on a desktop computer at MyEscambia.com/ask, or residents can download the mobile app for free by searching “Ask MyEscambia” in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or searching “PublicStuff” in the Windows Store or BlackBerry App World.
Traffic Conditions & Bridge Closures
- All bridges are open.
- There are no reports of uncleared debris in the roadway. To report a non-emergency road issue, click here or call 850-494-5860 Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To report an issue of an immediate nature after business hours, please call 850-937-2100.
- The toll on the Bob Sikes Bridge Toll Plaza will be reinstated at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8.
- Stefani Road at 9 Mile Road is closed due to a construction-related washout.
- J. Earle Bowden Way/399 between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach is closed due to flooding.
- Rio Vista Drive is closed due to flooding.
- To view a real-time map of Escambia County road closures 24/7, visit www.myescambia.com/roadissuesmap.
- City of Pensacola road closures can be viewed here.
- For the latest closures and updates, travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com. For more information, follow FDOT on Twitter @myfdot_nwfl, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
Health Advisory -Water Related Activities
- The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority reports that a power-failure related to Hurricane Nate has resulted in the release of an unknown amount of partially-treated effluent into the Santa Rosa Sound. FDOH-Escambia advises against any water-related activities due to the potential for high bacteria levels. FDOH-Escambia wants to emphasize that inland surface waters may be affected with potentially high bacteria counts due to possible storm-related damage to area sewage or septic systems.
- FDOH-Escambia has also issued a health advisory and advises against engaging in any water-related activities at the following locations due to the potential for high bacteria levels.
- Bayou Texar at Bayview Park
- Bayou Chico at Lakewood Park
- Bayou Grande at Navy Point Park
- Big Lagoon State Park
- Quiet Water Beach
- Sanders Beach
- For more information, contact the FDOH-Escambia Environmental Health office at 850-595-6700 or visit www.EscambiaHealth.com.
Pensacola International Airport
- Pensacola International Airport will remain closed Sunday, Oct. 8. Normal operations are expected to resume beginning Monday, Oct. 9.
County & City Offices/Courts
- All county offices will be open Monday, Oct. 8 for normal business hours.
- City of Pensacola offices will be open Monday, Oct. 8 for normal business hours.
- The judicial system is open Monday, Oct. 8 for normal business hours.
- All Escambia County Tax Collector’s offices are closed Monday Oct. 9, for a planned Professional Development Day.
Parks & Recreation
- The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier is open.
- The Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge will open 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8.
- Escambia County Parks crews will begin picking up small limbs and various small blown loose debris starting Monday, Oct. 9 across the county park system. Crews will also pick up washed up debris at the water’s edge at county boat ramps and public water access areas.
Schools, Colleges & Universities
- Pensacola State College will resume normal operations, activities and class schedules on Monday, Oct. 9.
- Monday, Oct. 9 is a scheduled professional development day for Escambia County School District teachers and staff, students do not attend school on this date.
- All UWF locations will be closed Saturday, Oct. 7 at noon through Monday, Oct. 9. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. Normal university operations, classes, events and campus activities will resume Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Shelters
- Shelters are closed.
Utilities
Mass Transit
- ECAT is not is service Sunday, Oct. 8. Drivers are on standby to help shelterees return home as needed. Service, including Routes 59X and 64 Beach Jumper will resume Monday, Oct. 9.
- Escambia County Community Transportation will resume normal services Monday, Oct. 9.
- UWF Trolley service will resume service Tuesday, Oct. 10.
9.
Florida Dept. Of Corrections Visitations Canceled For Sunday
October 8, 2017
The Florida Department of Corrections has canceled of all weekend visitation at all institutions in the Florida Panhandle for Sunday due to Nate. This includes the Century Correctional Institution and the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of staff, inmate and public safety, visitation is cancelled in the Florida Panhandle, the FDOC said. This cancellation includes all major institutions, work camps, work release centers and annex facilities.
FDC looks forward to resuming normal visitation as soon as possible, according to a statement released Friday afternoon.
For the list of impacted facilities, visit: www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region1/index.html.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Vehicle Accident Ruptures High Pressure Gas Line
October 8, 2017
A vehicle stuck and ruptured a gas line outside Flomaton Saturday night, causing a high pressure natural gas leak.
The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. on Wolf Log Road near Jordan Road. The driver escaped their overturned vehicle without serious injury.
The gas leak shut down roadways in the area and led to the evacuation of the only nearby home.
The gas was turned off by a utility crew shortly after 8 p.m. without further incident or injury.
The Flomaton Fire Department, Flomaton Police Department, Escambia (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County (FL) EMS and the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue were among the agencies that responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Respond To Reported House Fire In Molino
October 8, 2017
Firefighters responded to a reported house fire in Molino Saturday night.
They arrived to find smoke in the structure, but the fire had reportedly been extinguished by the resident. There was no major damage reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Crews Work To Restore Power To Thousands
October 8, 2017
Thousands of people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties lost power due to Hurricane Nate overnight.
Gulf Power reported that crews would be working to restore power as long as winds were below 35 mph, and EREC reported that crews would work to restore power as long as it was safe to do so.
Pictured: Gulf Power crews worked early Sunday morning to restore a power outage caused by Hurricane Nate. Pictured below: Gulf Power staged out of town crews at the Pensacola Fairgrounds for a fast response after Nate. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
