Here Are Key Points From Escambia County Hurricane Sally Press Conference; Info On Power, Water, Gas

September 18, 2020

Here are key takeaway points from an Escambia County press conference Friday morning on Hurricane Sally. Information is included on power restoration, ECUA, gas and other important items.

  • Urban search and rescue teams are out in flooded neighborhoods.
  • Rescue operations continue with door to door searches.
  • EMS responded has responded to wrecks at three intersections without working traffic lights.
  • Don’t be on the roads unless absolutely necessary. Treat non-working traffic lights as 4-way stops.
  • Still a lot of downed trees and power lines on the roadways. Downed power lines could be live at anytime, stay away.
  • Do not call 911 unless it is a life threatening emergency.
  • ECUA — water conservation is important because of the sewage situation. About 250 lift stations without power.
  • ECUA customers service phone lines are down due to Cox outage.
  • Pensacola Beach now has water service.
  • ECUA will pick up Thursday and Friday trash routes on Saturday. No recyclables.
  • All ECUA customers remain on a boil water notice.
  • Less than 300 people in shelters.
  • Escambia County working with federal and state authorities.
  • Still problems with communications, especially wireless voice and data.
  • Sheriff Morgan: We are not the gas pump police. You have to get in line and not cut in front of people at gas pumps. Common sense, he said.
  • Pensacola Chamber – no problem with fuel supply to the area; the problem is electric power to gas stations.
  • Stay away from Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key, unless you are getting food or gas stay at home. You are holding up progress, Morgan said.
  • Two axle vehicles can cross the Bob Sikes Bridge.
  • Discard food that has not been kept below 40 degrees or that has contacted flood waters – health department
  • Keep generators outside at least 20 feet away from open doors and window to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Pensacola Energy is up and running. Call 811 if you smell natural gas.
  • Pensacola airport may possibly open Friday afternoon. Not yet confirmed.
  • 82 roads in the City of Pensacola are blocked by down trees. Many roads in the county also blocked.
  • Use only Florida licensed contracts. Check companies out at myfloridalicense.com or call (850) 595-3590.

Comments

17 Responses to “Here Are Key Points From Escambia County Hurricane Sally Press Conference; Info On Power, Water, Gas”

  1. Skip on September 20th, 2020 2:28 am

    Suck it up buttercup! We made it out alive and you should of got gas before the storm like anyone with sense did!!!

  2. Kimberly R Parker on September 19th, 2020 5:25 pm

    Anyword about when Hurricane Sally will declared a natural disaster so that FEMA can help as our home was destroyed by the hurricane and we are in need of help we are currently at a hotel and would prefer to stay as we have a minor child and a small service dog it is safer then shelters

  3. pat. palmer on September 19th, 2020 5:12 pm

    We Need an Emergency Radio Station. Once the Power is out, we are left clueless.
    This has been the case in Escambia County for the 60 years I have lived her.
    Are our leaders Brain Dead.

  4. Stumpknocker on September 19th, 2020 3:18 pm

    @Jim your statement about gas Stations and generators is wrong. The law reads that gas Stations built after 2006 must be built to be generator ready, no where does it say they must have a generator, just be able to hook up to one. Read the law.

  5. Scooter on September 19th, 2020 9:10 am

    NPC on September 18th, 2020 11:08 pm

    “Why are vehicles lined up for blocks to get fuel in the middle of the day? Because they are out and don’t have to be.”

    Does your generator run on something other than fuel, or do you skip it and view some power as non-essential?

  6. NPC on September 18th, 2020 11:08 pm

    “Don’t be on the roads unless absolutely necessary.” Why are vehicles lined up for blocks to get fuel in the middle of the day? Because they are out and don’t have to be. Why does it take so long to get power restored in some areas? Because people are out and they don’t have to be. As an essential worker our response time we be less if we didn’t have to navigate around vehicles waiting in line and blocking traffic because people are out and they don’t have to be. Be the solution to the problem and stay home unless you have an essential need.

  7. Jim on September 18th, 2020 10:43 pm

    I remember after Hurricane Ivan the problem citizens had getting gasoline for their vehicles and generators due to the inability of gas stations to pump gas without electric service. At that time we were told a change would be made to the building code requiring all gas stations to install emergency generators so they would be able, in the future, to pump gasoline. It has been 16 years and evidently nobody has required gas stations to install emergency generators. In the north end of he county, I was only able to find one gas station that was pumping gas (speedmart in Gonzales) and they rigged up a pump with a vehicle battery to pump gas. Thanks to them many were able to get gas for their generators but they didn’t have gas for vehicles.

    I’d like to know who was supposed to inspect and insure that gas stations have emergency generators. I would think after 16 years all of them, especially those built since IVAN, should be able to pump gas when Gulf Power is unable to provide power. Evidently someone has been asleep at the switch for the last 16 years.

    When will something be done about this so citizens can get gasoline following a hurricane.. We stood in line for 3 hours to get 10 gallons of gas. The line was “never ending” for two solid days.

    Again, thank you Speed Mart for going out of your way to serve our community; maybe our political leaders will follow your lead and do something to require gas stations to have emergency power.

  8. Anne DuFault on September 18th, 2020 9:57 pm

    Any word on when power is going to be restored on Innerarity Point. Thank You.

  9. Diana Barton on September 18th, 2020 8:59 pm

    My daughter and infant grandson are in Pensacola. Is there emergency medical service for her 12 month old? He seems to be getting ill

  10. Hilary on September 18th, 2020 6:50 pm

    I was wondering if there was any word on a boil water notice for Farm Hill Utilities. Their website says nothing and we haven’t heard anything. Phone line is busy (I assume down).

  11. Elicia Arney on September 18th, 2020 5:52 pm

    Lights still off west yonge st n g st.

  12. Elicia Arney on September 18th, 2020 5:51 pm

    Lights still off on west yonge st. G st.

  13. Patricia wilson on September 18th, 2020 5:24 pm

    Food bad no lights, will we get replacement for Aug

  14. Dawn on September 18th, 2020 2:13 pm

    Cottage hill water works is running their pumps off of generators. They have been cutting them off at night due to the main line pump being down and we’re hoping to switch back over to it today. They said they would determine today if they would continue to cut it off at night or keep it running. We stopped and talked to them today because we were wondering the same thing. They said nothing about boil water but it never hurts.

  15. Flomaton on September 18th, 2020 1:58 pm

    Any word from Mayor getting ice and water to citizens and gas at stations. We are in need, thanks.0

  16. William Reynolds on September 18th, 2020 12:58 pm

    >William, have you received any word from Cottage Hill Water Works?

    No contact from them. (But if the water’s dirty, boiling seems like a good idea after it appears to have cleared up)

  17. MargieLu on September 18th, 2020 12:17 pm

    William, have you received any word from Cottage Hill Water Works? We sometimes have water, sometimes dont for 10-12 hours at a time. Today’s water is dirty—uet no boil water notices have ever been made. We boil….but we also cannot reach the office because the phones are out, and the online portal is not an option without internet (won’t work on our ATT or Verizon phones). Nobody at the office, but the generator is running the pumps. Can you please give us an update for Cottage Hill Water Works if any is available? Thank you!!!