Post Storm Safety Tips From Gulf Power
October 8, 2017
Gulf Power offers the following post-storm tips:
- 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.
Century, Repton Split Saturday Youth Football Games
October 8, 2017
Here are Saturday scores from the Southwest Alabama Youth Football League:
Mighty Mites (4-7 year olds)
Century 30, Repton 14
Tiny Mites (8-10 year olds)
Repton 22, Century 14
Pee Wees (11-13 year olds)
Repton 56, Century 0
Escambia County (AL) Opens Shelters
October 7, 2017
Information below is specific to Escambia County (AL). For Escambia County (FL) information, click here.
Shelters were opened at:
New Beginnings Worship Center
Rachel Patterson Elementary School
Evacuees should bring any needed bedding (blankets, pillows, etc.), food, snacks, drinks, medications (must be self-administered), and items to occupy children (i.e. coloring books, reading books, small games, etc.). These are not medical needs shelters and medical personnel will not be on site.
Latest Updates On Hurricane Nate
October 7, 2017
Nate strengthened into a hurricane late Friday night. The latest information on the storm is in the graphics on this page.
See the front page of NorthEscambia.com for additional details on Nate, evacuation information, safety tips and more.
FHP Issues Travel Advisory
October 7, 2017
The Florida Highway Patrol would like to remind motorists that during the upcoming storm to stay off the roadways during possible tropical storm force winds.
The FHP recommends that citizens follow the tips below:
• Slow down –. The roads remain slick after the storm so if you have to drive, decrease your speed to avoid hydroplaning.
• Buckle up – When it is finally safe to venture out, take the extra time to buckle your seatbelt. It is the law in Florida, and statistics continue to show that seatbelts save lives. Four of the reported deaths related to Tropical Story Fay involved motorists who were not wearing their seatbelts.
• Be cautious of high winds – Windy conditions adversely affect all vehicles, particularly high profile vehicles, such as buses and trucks, as well as motorcycles. Gusty wind makes driving difficult, especially when it is rapidly changing speed and direction.
• Turn around; don’t drown – Prepare for standing water. Never drive through flooded areas, even if you are familiar with the roads. The area of roadway you cannot see beneath the water may be washed out or the water may conceal debris, tree branches or even power lines.
• Pay attention – You may come up on an intersection that is no longer controlled by a traffic control device. If a police officer is directing traffic, follow their directions. Otherwise, treat the intersection as you would treat an intersection governed by a four-way Stop sign.
Jay Royals Beat The Northview Chiefs (With Gallery)
October 7, 2017
The Jay Royals beat the Northview Chiefs for the first time in a decade Friday night. The Royals topped the Chiefs 48-18 in Jay.
“Early turnovers hurts us,” Northview Coach Dereck Marshman said. “Big plays and missed tackles work hand in hand….we felt pretty good about our preparation on tackling coming in, but it failed us. And then we’ve got to learn to finish drives. We moved the ball between the 30 and 30 pretty good, but once we got into the red zone, it just stopped. The better team tonight won.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
For a bonus gallery click here – features cheerleaders and bands from both teams.
The Chiefs were the first on the scoreboard on a hand-off from quarterback Seth Killam to sophomore Aunterio Minor from eight yards out. With a missed point after attempt, the Chiefs were up 6-0 with 9:35 to go in the first quarter.
The Royals responded with six points of their own in the first quarter before exploding in the second quarter with 24 more points. The Chiefs were held to just six more points on a Trent Peebles touchdown dive with 1:17 to go in the second quarter.
At the half, the Royals were up 30-12.
The Royals added another TD in the third and two touchdowns in the fourth. The Chiefs’ only score of the second half came as Tim Bush score a touchdown with 3:43 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Jay Royals improved to 2-5 with the win. Northview’s season record fell to 1-6.
The Royals will face J.U. Blacksher of Uriah, AL, next Friday night. The Chiefs will celebrate homecoming as they host Pensacola Catholic in Bratt.
“We will reevaluate everything from the top down — coach, players — everything will be reevaluated,” Marshman said of the preparation for Catholic. Despite of a 1-7 record, Catholic will be one of the top teams Northview plays this season, he said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us. They have great program with a lot of tradition.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
For a bonus gallery click here – features cheerleaders and bands from both teams.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power And EREC: ‘We Are Ready’
October 7, 2017
Both local electric utilities, Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric Cooperative, say they are ready for Nate.
GULF POWER
As Gulf Power customers and residents along the Gulf Coast prepare for impacts from Nate, the energy provider is preparing for potential impacts to its service area of heavy rain, wind and storm surge.
If Nate affects Northwest Florida, Gulf Power is expecting most of its impacts to be to the western portion of its service area. That does not rule out some minor impacts farther east to Panama City, Fla.
In preparation of the storm, all of Gulf Power’s 1,328 employees are shifting into storm mode and the company expects to activate the McCrary Storm & Training Center in Pensacola Saturday afternoon.
If Northwest Florida is impacted, Gulf Power crews are ready to restore power to customers after the storm, as soon as it’s safe to work. As a part of Southern Company, Gulf Power has secured extra crews from Georgia Power. The energy provider also has secured crews from Tennessee and Kentucky. These extra crews will be staging at Pensacola Fairgrounds.
As Gulf Power prepares for restoration, the utility encourages its customers to prepare to be without power for an extended period if tropical storm or hurricane-force winds and storm surge occur.
“Gulf Power has invested $225 million in ongoing storm resiliency projects across our region since Hurricane Ivan in 2004,” said Kimberly Blair, Gulf Power spokesperson. “Investments in our smart grid doesn’t mean customers won’t lose power during a storm. It means that our ongoing investment in our grid maintenance, upgrades and technology makes it much more resilient than years ago when Hurricane Ivan hit. Even though customers may lose power in a storm, a stronger grid means faster restoration times.”
Gulf Power teams rapidly deployed to restore power in less than two days when tropical force winds from Irma knocked out service to some 13,000 customers in the Panama City area.
“Our Gulf Power team trains and prepares for these storm events that have such a large impact on our communities and our customers’ lives,” said Blair. “We work hard to cultivate what we call a ‘culture of preparedness’. This culture has served our communities well in previous successful storm restoration events.”
The safety of Gulf Power customers is also important.
“We urge our customers to view storm safety tips on our website in preparation for the storm,” Blair said. “Most importantly we stress two important safety messages. If you see a downed power line, stay away and call 911 immediately. The line could still be energized and could also energize fences and other objects it’s touching. Also use your generators safely. Never use them indoors or in a garage. Three people died and several others were hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisoning when running a generator inside their homes after Hurricane Irma left them without power.
ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC
Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc. (EREC) employees have been placed on storm alert, and the emergency response plan has been activated in anticipation of possible effects of Nate. Members are encouraged to stay abreast of storm developments and take necessary safety precautions.
“We are watching Nate closely and all emergency response personnel are ready to respond to whatever the storm may bring our way. Additional co-op crews are on stand-by status to speed the recovery process if needed,” said Clay Campbell, EREC CEO/general manager.
EREC reminds the public that, in the event of outages, crews will begin making system repairs as soon as safely possible. Members are also encouraged to be mindful of their surroundings and to take safety precautions in the storm’s aftermath.
Storm Related Traffic Info From FDOT
October 7, 2017
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is providing an update on road and bridge closures and restrictions in Northwest Florida due to Nate.
FDOT has suspended interstate and highway construction in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties through Sunday, Oct. 8 to allow for the possible increase in traffic. All rail, transit and seaport facilities are functioning as normal. All construction activities will resume Monday, Oct. 9.
FDOT will assist first responders with traffic control, detours or road closures, but the department will suspend emergency response activities if Nate’s sustained winds reach tropical storm force of 45 mph or higher. Once conditions improve, crews will go back to working around the clock to clear all roadways.
Motorists are encouraged to monitor weather reports and road conditions and to be on the lookout for flooded roads. If the road ahead is flooded, turn around and find an alternate route. Flooded roads may hide the fact that the roadway is washed out underneath and as little as six inches of rushing water can force your car off the road.
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 Facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
Bonus Gallery: Northview And Jay Bands And Cheerleaders
October 7, 2017
The Northview Chiefs visited the Jay Royals Friday night.
For a photo gallery featuring the Northview and Jay bands and cheerleaders, click here.
For a photo game action story and photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pre-Storm Tips From Gulf Power
October 7, 2017
Here are some quick pre-storm tips from Gulf Power:
* Turn your air conditioning down to cool down your house. If you keep the doors and windows closed after the storm you can keep your house relatively cool for about 48 hours after the storm.
* Charge up your cell phone before the storm — and anything else that needs to be charged up.
* Keep freezer doors closed and sealed. Well-filled freezers keep most foods frozen two to three days if the door is kept closed. Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings and pack your freezer with as many food items as possible.
* Be prepared to disconnect or shut off any appliances that will turn on automatically when power is restored, including electric space heaters and stoves, washers, dryers, TV’s, microwave ovens, computers, refrigerators and freezers. If not, when power is restored, several appliances may come back on at the same time and overload your circuits, or hot appliances may come on while you’re away or asleep, posing a fire hazard.
* Unplug electronics in your home and place them on sturdy surfaces or relocate them to the highest floor.
* When traveling before or after a storm, be aware of electrical crews working and the potential for down power lines or power poles.
* If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for backup power or make arrangements to relocate when a storm warning is issued.
* If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for a storm, note the locations of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffold are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you’re using – stay at least 10 feet away from the power lines. Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV.
* Most counties will suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you already have trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing loose branches and other debris.