Escambia Schools Closed On Monday And Tuesday (With Info For PSC, UWF, PCA, PCC And Santa Rosa)
September 20, 2020
Escambia County schools and administrative offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, according to Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. He said that a budget meeting and regular meeting planned at the JE Hall Center for Monday will still be held at 5:01 and 5:30 p.m. respectively.
Santa Rosa County schools will reopen on Monday.
Pensacola State College has suspended all classes and class activities until Monday, September 28.
The University of West Florida will be closed through 4:59 a.m. on Thursday to allow the University and UWF community time to regain power and continue the cleanup process. Only essential personnel and residential students are permitted at UWF locations at this time. All courses, including online courses, are cancelled until Thursday. All assignments, exams, virtual and in-person courses are suspended during this time.
Pensacola Christian Academy will reopen for school on Monday. Pensacola Christian College will resume classes and reopen all work areas on Monday.
Gulf Power Releases Restoration Timeline By Location; EREC Making Big Progress
September 20, 2020
Gulf Power has released estimated power restoration times by location, and Escambia River Electric continues to restore power for their members.
GULF POWER COMPANY
As of early Sunday morning, there were 48,130 Gulf Power customers without service – 46,540 in Escambia County and 1,590 ub Santa Rosa County.
Saturday night, Gulf Power provided more detailed service restoration estimates based upon location. Click the map above to enlarge (areas not in color on the map are served by EREC).
Escambia County
- Customers in Century are estimated to be restored by midnight, Sunday, Sept. 20.
- Customers north of Kingsfield Road are estimated to be restored by midnight, Monday, Sept. 21.
- Customers south of Kingsfield Road including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and Innerarity Point, are estimated to be restored by midnight, Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Santa Rosa County
- Essentially all customers in Santa Rosa County are estimated to be restored by midnight, Sunday, Sept. 20.
If power is restored in your neighborhood and you still do not have power, first check your breakers. If this is not the issue, report your outage on the Gulf Power App or using an automated system by calling 1-800-GUPOWER (1-800-487-6937).
ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
There were 2,084 Escambia River Electric Cooperative members without power as of early Sunday morning.
Immediately after Hurricane Sally, EREC had 11,448 customers without service.
“Our storm team is working hard day and night to restore power to our membership,” said CEO Ryan Campbell. “We know our members are eager to get their electricity restored, and our crews will not stop working until everyone has power. The support our members have shown us has been amazing. We’ve had deliveries of snacks, doughnuts and even a sign placed in front of the co-op thanking our linemen. It’s great to be part of such a supportive community.”
Pictured: Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative works to restore power for Escambia River Electric Cooperative members along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ice, Food, Water And Tarps Available Sunday At Seven Locations In Escambia County
September 20, 2020
Ice, food (MREs), bottled water and tarps will be available Sunday and Monday at seven distributions locations in Escambia County.
A total of 10,000 tarps will be made available.
Several of the sites ran out of food and water on Saturday, but officials said that a “convoy” of trucks will keep them supplied.
The distributions will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the following locations:
AMC Movie Theater – 9 Mile Rd. (parking lot)
161 East Nine Mile Road
Century Industrial Park (Warehouse parking lot)
6081 Industrial Blvd
Brent Athletic Park – Baseball Field
4711 North “W” St.
Casino Beach Parking Lot
Pensacola Beach
Point Church
13801 Innerarity Point Road
There will be ice available at the following locations in addition to food and water at:
Brownsville Community Center
3200 W. DeSoto St.
Marie K. Young Wedgewood Community Center
6405 Wagner Road
Firefighters, Police Risk All To Rescue People From House Fire During Hurricane Sally
September 20, 2020
As Hurricane Sally made landfall and brought 100+ mph winds and torrential rainfall to the Pensacola area, Pensacola Fire Department dispatch received a desperate call for help in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 16.
A house was on fire, and two residents were standing on their porch in the middle of a hurricane to escape the flames. Another resident was still inside the home.
Like other first responders in the area, Pensacola Fire Department was temporarily not responding to calls due to unsafe conditions from Hurricane Sally – but they couldn’t let this one go.
“In our line of work, when something like that comes in, that’s when it’s go time for us,” Pensacola Fire Battalion Chief Charles Walters said. “We’re willing to risk everything, so we made the call to go ahead and send companies and respond. Because had we not responded, it might have been a horrible thing – so we risked everything in a storm.”
As Engine 1 and Engine 2 made their way through the horrendous weather conditions to get to the fire at a residence on Ninth Avenue, Pensacola Police Department Sgt. James Daniels heard the same call from dispatch while staging at Pensacola International Airport during the hurricane. Like Pensacola Fire Department, Sgt. Daniels made the decision to respond.
“We were told the same thing, that we were only responding for life or death, and it was going to be based on a hard call and a decision of the supervisors based on the conditions,” Sgt. Daniels said. “I made the call to have myself and my officer go out there…I would rather push through the weather and get to them than to not be able to help.”
The hurricane conditions presented many obstacles as PFD and PPD drove to the house fire, only able to drive about 25 mph at times due to low visibility and wind speeds.
“The wind was pushing you over, the rain was coming down sideways and the streets were flooded,” Pensacola Fire Captain Jarrod Gruber said. “Like you can imagine right in the middle of a hurricane, it was pitch black and the streets were covered in downed trees, power lines, you name it.”
Despite the dangerous conditions, Sgt. Daniels said all three PPD officers and two airport officers who were with him at the airport were eager to respond to the call.
“They literally all were ready and falling behind me, and I told them some of them had to stay,” Sgt. Daniels said. “Our C shift I’m assigned to, that group of officers and the city as a whole, we have a lot of young officers. Well you can tell they’re definitely doing this job and this career for the right reasons – and it shows there, because you have to hold them back and tell them not to go, they’re so eager to help.”
When first responders made it to the residence, flames and smoke were visible, and they were told one resident was still inside.
Firefighters were able to get the individual safely out of the home and extinguish the fire, keeping it contained in the garage where it started. Sgt. Daniels and PPD Officer Wayne Berthiaume transported the three residents to the Pensacola Bay Center shelter to take refuge from the storm.
Pensacola Fire Department and Pensacola Police Department both attributed the successful response to the great teamwork between everyone involved.
“It was definitely two city divisions coming to help out someone else,” Battalion Chief Walters said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Pensacola Fire Chief Ginny Cranor said she was incredibly impressed with the response by her team, along with PPD, who all put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of others.
“I’m so proud of them,” Chief Cranor said. “Their training and preparation as firefighters – and sheer humanity – were on full display. These guys left their own families, not knowing what Sally was going to do, and saved others. It is truly inspiring.”
Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter echoed Chief Cranor’s sentiments.
“I can’t emphasize enough how much I appreciate our officers and their willingness to risk their lives every day for people they’ve never met,” Chief Lyter said. “Stories like this are a testament to the dedication and selflessness of our first responders in the City of Pensacola, and I’m so proud of their dedication and willingness to make sacrifices every day to protect and serve our citizens.”
Mayor Grover Robinson agreed, also expressing his gratitude to everyone involved.
“Heroic stories like this happen every day in the City of Pensacola, but we don’t always get the opportunity to hear about them or recognize those who put their lives in danger to save others,” Mayor Robinson said. “I’m so proud of and thankful for the Pensacola Fire Department and Pensacola Police Department for their selfless actions during this call and many other calls like it where lives have been saved thanks to their dedication. I truly appreciate their service and commitment to keeping our city safe.”
Military And Overseas Ballots On The Way For General Election
September 20, 2020
While recovering from the effects of Hurricane Sally, the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office sent more than 6,500 vote-by-mail ballots on Friday and Saturday to eligible military and overseas citizens. Voters will either receive their ballot by mail or electronically, depending on their chosen method of delivery.
Vote-by-mail ballots for eligible civilian voters who have requested a ballot will start being mailed between Thursday, September 24 and Thursday, October 1. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed for the General Election is 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. The United States Postal service recommends that voters mail their completed ballot at least one week before Election Day. To request or track your vote-by-mail ballot, visit EscambiaVotes.gov and click “Vote by Mail”, or contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 595-3900.
Lowe’s Bucket Brigade To Provide Free Supplies Monday At Local Stores
September 20, 2020
Lowe’s will hold drive-through bucket brigade events at Pensacola area stores on Monday beginning at 11 a.m. while supplies last. At each event, Lowe’s will pass out free Lowe’s buckets full of vendor-donated supplies such as:
- Gloves
- Flashlights
- Goggles
- DampRid moisture absorber
- Batteries
- Bug spray
- Trash bags
- Bottled water
Participating locations are:
- Lowe’s of Ensley, 777 West Nine Mile Road
- Lowe’s of Pensacola, 1201 Airport Blvd.
- Lowe’s of SW Pensacola, 4301 West Fairfield Drive
Over 1,500 Cases Of Water Distributed At Cantonment Church On Saturday
September 20, 2020
Over 1,500 cases of water were distributed Saturday at Pinewood Presbyterian Church in Cantonment. The water was provided by Michelle Salzman, Pinewoods Presbyterian and the Lewis Bear Company. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chance Of Showers, 70s In The Day, Low 60s At Night
September 20, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind around 10 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Loaded Sewage Tanker Truck Overturns Onto Car; At Least Two Injured
September 19, 2020
At least two people were injured after a loaded sewage truck overturned onto a car Saturday morning.
The injuries were not believed to be life threatening.
It happened at Old Chemstrand Road and New Haven Drive. The Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating and has not said what cause the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Slight Chance Of Showers And A Cool Down For The Weekend
September 19, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 63. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 75. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82