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Hurricane Michael Grows Stronger, Expected To Reach Category 4

THIS STORY IS NOW OUTDATED. Visit NorthEscambia.com for the latest updates.

Hurricane Michael is now a major category 3 hurricane and is expected to reach category 4 by landfall.

The latest information on the storm is in the graphics on this page. A Hurricane Warning has been changed a Tropical Storm Warning for inland Escambia and inland Santa Rosa counties. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for southern Escambia and southern Santa Rosa counties.

Data from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 125 mph (205 km/h) with higher gusts. Michael is now a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some further strengthening is expected overnight and on Wednesday, and Michael is forecast to become a category 4 hurricane before it makes landfall in the
Florida Panhandle or the Florida Big Bend area.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles
(280 km).

For additional local information, see the front page of NorthEscambia.com.

Photos: Pensacola Beach Tuesday Afternoon

Hurricane Michael was in the Gulf of Mexico south of Pensacola Beach Tuesday afternoon.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Pictured top: Waves crash into the Pensacola Beach fishing pier Tuesday afternoon. Pictured below: The road to Fort Pickens was closed by the Park Service. Pictured below: The surf reaches a walkover stairway. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

Gulf Power, EREC Preparing For Hurricane Michael

Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric Cooperative are preparing for Hurricane Michael.

Gulf Power

Gulf Power is preparing for Hurricane Michael and encourages its customers to be prepared as well. The latest forecast projects landfall somewhere between Pensacola and Apalachicola as a category 2 or 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon. On the current track, tropical storms force winds could extend as far west as Pensacola, with the greatest impact to the Panama City area.

With the threat of major hurricane and widespread power outages due to wind, rain and tidal surge, Gulf Power crews stand at the ready to restore power.

“Customers should prepare for the possibility of losing power for an extended period when tropical storm to hurricane force winds and storm surge or flooding occurs,” said Gordon Paulus, Gulf Power spokesperson. “We have our storm plans in place and are ready for any scenario.”

Nearly 1,200 Gulf Power employees and 330 Gulf Power contractors shift to storm duty roles to restore power when a storm hits to ensure power is restored as quickly and safely as possible for their customers. The company has also lined up assistance from other energy providers. Already, more than 1,350 outside resources have been secured to assist with restoration and more are available if needed.

This will be the third storm to hit Northwest Florida this year. In May, Pensacola experienced subtropical storm Alberto, the first named storm of what has proven to be a very busy storm season. And in September, Gulf Power crews restored power to 26,000 customers after Tropical Storm Gordon lashed the area.

“Our crews were able to restore 26,000 customers from Tropical Storm Gordon within a day in a half,” Paulus said. “We train year-round for these types of scenarios. That training and developing of skills has really paid off in helping us quickly and safely get our customers’ power back on.”

Escambia River Electric Cooperative

With Hurricane Michael bearing down, EREC is making final preparations to deal with potential impacts in our area. According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Michael is forecast to make landfall along the Florida panhandle on Wednesday afternoon. Michael will produce very heavy rain, strong wind, and storm surge.

EREC activated its emergency response plan earlier this week, alerting employees and contract crews to be on standby in case of widespread outages.

Evacuations Ordered In Escambia County

Scott: ‘Monstrous’ Michael Possibly Worst In Decades

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday called Hurricane Michael a “monstrous” and potentially “deadly” storm that is barreling toward Florida.

“It’s a massive storm. We haven’t seen anything like this in the Panhandle in decades,” Scott said at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center.

Michael has the potential to be the strongest storm in the region since Hurricane Eloise swept across Bay County in September 1975 with 110 mph winds. Hurricane Opal carried 100 mph winds when it hit Pensacola Beach in October 1995. Hurricane Ivan made landfall near Gulf Shores, Ala., at 120 mph in September 2004. And Hurricane Dennis was at 105 mph when it hit Santa Rosa Island in July 2005.

A state of emergency was declared in 35 counties — including  Escambia and Santa Rosa. State offices will be closed in Escambia, Santa Rosa and the other 33 counties through Thursday.

Scott has activated 1,250 members of the Florida National Guard, with another 4,250 on standby.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said the Florida Forest Service and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement are preparing teams to support urban search and rescue operations.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has also designated 40 law-enforcement officers for rapid deployment. The Florida Highway Patrol is pre-deploying 100 State Troopers to the Panhandle and Big Bend area of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Michael.

by The News Service of Florida with contribution from NorthEscambia.com

Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott at the Escambia County Operations Center late Monday afternoon. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Escambia, Santa Rosa School Closure Information

Escambia County (FL) schools will dismiss early on Tuesday and be closed on Wednesday, while Santa Rosa County schools will be closed both days.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY (FL)

Escambia County Schools closed early Tuesday, and will be closed on Wednesday. All extra curricular activities are canceled for both days.  Byrneville Elementary, a charter school, will follow the Escambia County School District in closures.

For additional closure information, including PSC and UWF, click here.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY:

Santa Rosa Schools will be closed *all day* Tuesday and Wednesday. This is a change from a half day previously announced for Tuesday.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY (AL)

Escambia County (AL) Schools will be closed Wednesday.

Any additional announcements and updates will be posted on NorthEscambia.com.

Santa Rosa County Hurricane Michael Information

[Updated 6 p.m. Tuesday] Here is the latest Hurricane Michael information from Santa Rosa County:

Storm Information as Forecasted by the National Weather Service

• Shelters are opened to ensure your safety. 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.
• The shelter is currently hosting approximately 45 in general population, five in special needs and four pets. The shelter will be open until Thurs. morning.

Santa Rosa County Offices and Services

• Santa Rosa County BOCC, Clerk of Court, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections offices will remain closed Wed. Offices will reopen Thurs.
• The BOCC Regular Meeting scheduled for Wed., Oct. 10 has been cancelled.
• Lifeguards will not be on the beach Wed., Oct. 10.
• Libraries are closed Wed., Oct. 10.
• Animal Shelter drop boxes will closed through Wed., Oct. 10
• Building inspections will be delayed this week. All inspections will be suspended Wed., Oct. 10. Delays are still likely through the end of the week.
• Central Landfill will remain closed Wed., Oct. 10.
  The Transportation Disadvantaged program has been suspended for Wed., Oct. 10. Service will resume on Thurs., Oct. 11. For information, call 850-626-6806.
• The Navarre Pier will be closed Wed., Oct. 10.

NAS Whiting Field

• NAS Whiting Field is open to mission-critical personnel only on Wed., Oct. 10. the base medical clinic and pharmacy will be closed and reopen Thurs., Oct. 11 at 7 a.m.

Waste Pro

• Navarre – Collection services have been suspended for Wed., Oct. 10. Services will resume Thurs., Oct. 11. If your garbage is normally serviced on Wed. you will be serviced Sat. Recycling and yard waste collection will run one day behind. Wed. will be service on Thurs., Thurs. serviced on Fri. and Fri. serviced on Sat.
• Gulf Breeze – Collection services have been suspended for Wed., Oct. 10 and will resume Thurs., Oct. 11. All collections will run one day behind for the remainder of the week.
• Offices will reopen Thurs., Oct. 11; call 850-365-1900 with any questions.

Courts

• State courts in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties will be closed at noon on Tues., Oct. 9 and will remain closed Wed., Oct. 10.  Any further decisions regarding court operations on Thurs., Oct. 11, will be announced as soon as possible.
• First Appearances set for Oct. 10 will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Santa Rosa County Jail.
• Any detention or shelter hearings set for Oct. 10 will be conducted in Escambia County in conjunction with the Escambia County hearings.
• Domestic violence Injunction hearings set for Oct. 10 are rescheduled to Oct. 17.
• VOP hearings before Judge Hilliard set for Oct. 9 are rescheduled to Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
• Misdemeanor arraignments set before Judge Giraud on Oct. 9 are rescheduled to Oct. 30 at 1 p.m.
• VOP hearings before Judge Giraud set for Oct. 10 are rescheduled to Oct. 31 at 8:30 a.m.
• Docket day before Judge Giraud set for Oct. 10 is rescheduled to Oct. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
• The truancy docket before Judge Ross Goodman set for Oct. 10  is rescheduled to Nov. 7 at 3 p.m.
• Criminal motion hearings before Judge Rimmer set for Oct. 10 are rescheduled to Oct. 15.
• For further updates, follow the First Circuit at https://twitter.com/1stCircuitFLor @1stCircuitFL or visit www.firstjudicialcircuit.org.

City of Milton

• City of Milton offices will remain closed Wed. Offices will reopen Thurs.
• City garbage services will resume Thurs. normal schedule.

Supervisor of Elections

• The Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections Office is closed. The closure will affect the voter registration deadline. In Florida, registration books close 29 days prior to an election.
• Due to the office closing early, paper voter registration applications for the 2018 General Election will be accepted on the next full business day the office is open.
• Voter registration applications can be summited online at www.votesantarosa.com. The deadline to accept online voter registration applications will remain 11:59 p.m. October 9.
• Address changes can be made after the books close. If you are unsure of your registration status, visit VoteSantaRosa.com and click on “My Registration Status.”
• Early Voting begins October 22 in Santa Rosa County.
• Questions? Call the Elections Office at 983-1900.

Santa Rosa Public Schools

• District schools and offices will remain closed Wed., Oct. 10.
• A decision regarding school-related afternoon and evening activities for Wed. will be made during the day on Wed.
• A decision on school operation for Thurs., Oct. 11 will be announced on Wed.
• Monitor the district website and local media outlets for updates, as any change to the current forecast track will necessitate changes to the current plan of action.

Pensacola State College

• PSC will remain closed through Wed., Oct. 10. This closure includes all classes, evening classes, school activities, and online classes. 
• PSC is scheduled to resume normal operational hours on Thurs., Oct. 11.  If that should change, students, faculty, and staff will be notified through the PSC Alert System, social media, PSC website, and local media.

Council on Aging of West Florida

• COAWF will suspend all services Wed., Oct. 10 including:
• All senior dining sites in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will be closed Wednesday.
• The Retreat adult day care will be closed Wednesday.
• Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions will not report to their schools or client homes Wednesday.
• Meals on Wheels will not be delivered on Wednesday, but will be delivered on Thursday. Clients scheduled for Wednesday delivery will be notified about the delivery change.
• The main Council on Aging office will be closed Wednesday, though the agency’s answering service will remain in operation, able to note questions and needs for service.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

• The Fort Pickens, Perdido Key, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Areas are closed.

Florida Forestry Service

• Florida Forest Service offices, recreation and day-use areas in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties will be closed through Thursday.

Department of Health in Santa Rosa County

• Locations will remain closed through Wed., Oct. 10.  The closure includes all DOH-Santa Rosa clinics as well as the Pro Med Dental clinics in Milton and Midway.  Services are scheduled to resume at their regular times on Thurs., Oct. 11.
• Call the Milton location at 850-983-5200 on Thurs. to reschedule clinic appointments. To reschedule dental appointments, 850-564-2248.

• Pine Forest and Carroll in Milton
• Citrus and Leisure in Navarre
• Tiger Point Park in Gulf Breeze
• Pace Fire Rescue in Pace

• The tolls for Garcon Point Bridge have been lifted until further notice.
• J. Earle Bowden Way/399 is closed between Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach.
• Choctaw Field Rd. will remain closed until future notice.
• Heavy rain may quickly flood low-lying areas including roads and bridges.
• Standing water creates a serious road hazard, even when only a portion of the roadway is flooded. Turn around, don’t drown!
• Dangerous road conditions can be reported to (850) 983-5372.
• Bridges will be closed by law enforcement or FDOT at the onset of sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph. BRIDGES ARE NOT CLOSED IN ADVANCE.
• County road and bridge closures are posted online.
• Florida road closures are available at www.fl511.com or a free phone call to 511.
• FDOT has suspended interstate and highway maintenance and construction indefinitely to allow for an increase in traffic as motorists evacuate from the northwest Florida coastline area. Bridge inspection crews are on standby for any potential inspections.
• FDOT will assist first responders with traffic control, detours or road closures, but the department will suspend emergency response activities if Hurricane Michael’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.

• 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).
• Do not use a landline or run water during lightning storms. Do not take a bath or shower. Currents from lightning can enter through plumbing or water lines.
• Unplug sensitive electronic appliances to protect them against power fluctuations that can occur when power is restored.
• Wait five to 10 minutes before turning on appliances and heating/air conditioning systems after power is restored.
• Check for electrical damage such as frayed wires, downed power lines, sparks or the smell of hot or burned insulation. If you find such damage, don’t turn your power on until service crews have made repairs.
• If power lines and poles are down in your yard or in the street, always treat them as if they were energized.
• An electrician must repair damage inside your house. Your electric utility can only hook up power from the pole or underground line to your home. Utility personnel cannot repair your fuse or breaker box, or make other repairs inside your home.
• If your electric service is out, check with your neighbors to see if they have power. If they do, you may have a blown fuse or tripped breaker. Never replace a fuse or reset a breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet (or even damp) surface.
• Helping line crews is appreciated, but working with power lines and electricity requires a high degree of training. To restore power with the highest degree of safety, restoration must be accomplished in a certain order, using specific equipment and procedures. Workers will appreciate your patience and understanding.

• Residents with storm damage can report damage online including submitting photos at www.santarosa.fl.gov or by calling (850) 983-4636.

.

Voter Registration Deadline Extended Due To Michael

The in-person voter registration deadline has been extended due to Hurricane Michael.

The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office will close today, October 9, at 3 p.m. and remain closed Wednesday, October 10, due to the potential impact of Hurricane Michael.

The Florida Secretary of the State issued a directive to storm impacted counties allowing for the extension of the voter registration deadline until the day the office reopened to the public following the storm, which means the voter registration deadline will be extended to Thursday, October 11 for dropping off paper applications for the General Election.

The deadline for electronic submissions through the Florida Online Voter Registration website is 11:59 p.m. tonight.

Photos: Getting Ready For Michael

Monday, Escambia County residents were busy prepping for Hurricane Michael…including trips for the store and gas stations for supplies and fuel.

Many stores were out of water, while there were scattered reports of gas stations without fuel.

Pictured top: Vehicles being fueled at the Tom Thumb in Molino early Monday evening. Pictured inset: Generators at Sam’s Club on Airport Boulevard. Pictured immediately below: Most of the water was sold out at the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard in Ensley. Pictured bottom: Water shelves were mostly empty at the Winn Dixie in Cantonment Monday, but several pallets of water were available. Photos by Kristi Barbour and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Northview JV Chiefs Beat Escambia County

The junior varsity Northview Chiefs ended their season Monday night at home in Bratt with a 6-0 win over the Blue Devils of Escambia County High School (Atmore).

For a photo gallery, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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