FEMA Mobile Unit Opens In Atmore For Individual Disaster Assistance For Alabama Residents
September 28, 2020
FEMA opened a mobile intake center in Atmore on Sunday to help Hurricane Sally victims in Escambia County, Alabama, apply for individual assistance.
Homeowners and renters who suffered damage from Hurricane Sally in Baldwin, Mobile, and Escambia counties in Alabama can apply to FEMA for federal disaster assistance. Survivors may be eligible to receive assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from Hurricane Sally.
Residents of the three Alabama counties were designated eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program under the Major Disaster Declaration signed by President Trump.
The centers are part of FEMA’s and the State of Alabama’s ongoing response and recovery mission supporting hurricane survivors. The MRIC will be operated by FEMA personnel and serve as a point of registration and information for eligible individuals and families.
The FEMA center at the Atmore Farmers Market, next to the Atmore City Hall, will be open Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to assist residents of Escambia, Mobile and Baldwin counties of Alabama only. Another FEMA center is located in Foley at the satellite courthouse.
A federal disaster declaration for Escambia county in Florida and Santa Rosa County does not contain individual or household assistance. Local officials are continuing to push for individual assistance in the Florida counties.
Pictured: A FEMA mobile intake center at teh Atmore Farmer’s Market, next to city hall, on Sunday. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Charles Vernon Brown
September 28, 2020
Charles Vernon Brown, 83, of Molino, FL, passed away unexpectedly on September 21, 2020. He was born in Eliska, AL, to Ike and Ethel Brown on March 20, 1937. He was a graduate of JU Blacksher School in Uriah, AL. He married Jeanette Ryland Brown on March 25, 1960, in Brewton, AL. He retired in 2007 as co-owner of Byrd Construction Inc., after 52 years in the industrial construction business.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Sharon Brown, of Eliska, and his beloved grandson, Dillon Charles Roberson, of Molino.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jeanette; his son, Roger (Tanya), and daughter, Renee (Warren) Roberson; grandchildren, Shana Fetsko (Andrew), Tanner Roberson (Katelin), Taylor Brown (Reagan); and great-grandchildren, Sadie and Hayes Fetsko, all of Molino. He is also survived by siblings, Cathy (Donald) Hendrix, Molino; Joyce (Eric) Frye, Farmington, NM; Margaret (Charles) Fulton, Tallahassee; and Sue Childers, Calhoun, GA.
He was a faithful member of Highland Baptist Church in Molino for over 53 years, serving as a youth leader, Sunday School teacher, and a deacon. His passion was serving the Lord and giving to others. He loved sharing his vegetable garden with family and friends. He found great joy in seeing his grandchildren grow into Christians and seeing them carry on the values he taught them throughout their lives. The highlight of his day was to see Sadie and Hayes running across the field to visit Mamaw and Papaw.
Pallbearers will be Tanner Roberson, Taylor Brown, Andrew Fetsko, Garry Hendrix, Ricky Brooks, and Ed Kernells.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 26, 2020, at Highland Baptist Church with Rev. Brian Calhoun officiating.
Burial was in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dillon Roberson Youth Fund at Highland Baptist Church, 6240 North Hwy. 95A, Molino, FL 32577.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
ECUA Will Collect Recycling Cans This Week, But It Will All Go Into The Landfill
September 27, 2020
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority will pick up both trash and recycling cans this week, with both going into the landfill.
ECUA’s recycling program remain on hold after Hurricane Sally substantially damaged the Materials Recycling Facility at Perdido Landfill.
Recycling collected this week will go straight into the landfill with the regular trash, according to ECUA, but will allow customers to have their recycling can emptied.
ECUA is also reminding customers that storm debris is being collected by contractors working on behalf of Escambia County and that ECUA is not picking up construction or building debris, whether bagged or loose. Construction and building materials are never items that are collected as part of the ECUA residential sanitation service.
The facility sustained about $800,000 in damage to the structure and equipment. A building contractor is already on site, has completed inspections and is ready to begin rehabilitation work. The best estimate right now is that the facility will be in service and ECUA recycling will return at the end of October.
“I want to assure our customers that ECUA is 150% committed to our program, and we are going to work to have the facility back up and running as safely and quickly as possible,” ECUA Public Information Officer Nathalie Bowers said Tuesday afternoon.
Bowers encourage residents to try to stay in the habit of recycling, if possible, by storing clean recyclables in their cans or elsewhere until service resumes.
Pictured: Damage to the ECUA Material Recycling Facility at the Perdido Landfill. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Guest View: Please Help Our Citizens Recover Now
September 27, 2020
by Steven Barry, chairman Escambia County Commission
Thousands of Escambia County residents are hurting as a result of Hurricane Sally and there is help out there, but it’s just out of reach to them.
As a board, we are relieved and appreciative of the FEMA Major Disaster Declaration which came Thursday, including approval for all Public Assistance (PA) categories available. Unfortunately, it did not include the Individual Assistance (IA) component for our citizens.
While we understand the inclusion of the IA does not guarantee direct assistance to any specific person, it does allow any person to apply for the same type of assistance that their neighbors to the west in Baldwin, Mobile, and Escambia Counties, Alabama are able. The inclusion of IA allows for citizens to receive direct assistance from FEMA for expenses incurred due to temporary housing needs, housing repairs, housing replacement, permanent housing construction, and a category for other needs assistance. The last category could include expenses for medical, personal property, transportation, moving and storage, and any other expenses FEMA approves.
In 2014, we also received the Major Disaster Declaration, but it included the IA portion. Hurricane Sally was a category 2 hurricane with 105 mph sustained winds and inundated us with even more rain than the flood of 2014, over 30 inches, but now our citizens wait for what they rightfully deserve, and that is not fair.
In 2014, there were over 7,000 IA applications approved by FEMA, exceeding 35 million dollars. People are in a remarkably similar situation today, only with dramatically different resources available to them. Between the hurricane-force winds and deluge of rain, our citizens have suffered over 100,000,000 dollars of damage to their homes and private property. A large portion of those losses are not covered by insurance, and our community cannot absorb this type of loss of financial resources, especially when the help exists.
Over 30% of our population survives at a household income of less than 40,000 dollars, for a household consisting of three people. In five days following the storm, at only a handful of distribution sites throughout the county, 36,000 vehicles were served 60,000 cases of water, 21,000 bags of ice, and 37,000 meals ready to eat (MRE) were provided to them. Additionally, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and kind neighbors volunteering have served 80,000 meals and distributed 30,000 tarps to hungry and hurting people. People would not wait multiple hours in line, which they did, for basic and only life-sustaining items if they have a multitude of choices, so clearly, they do not.
These are the citizens whose lives are on hold, just waiting for a process most do not understand to work through the bureaucratic process.
We understand the COVID-19 issues affecting the FEMA personnel response and other national disasters occurring in other parts of the country, but our citizens should not be penalized for factors completely out of their control.
Also, based on feedback from our state and federal partners, we have taken the additional step of asking people to take the time and make the effort to email us pictures and narratives outlining their losses. This is an unprecedented request, but as expected, people responded tremendously, with 1,000 emails in barely 48 hours.
In addition to the other aspects of IA mentioned previously, the inclusion of IA will also entitle our homeowners to access the SBA Home Repair low-interest program loans, and without direct assistance or access to these low-interest loans collateralized by these severely damaged properties, many people simply do not have the resources to repair or rebuild their homes.
We held multiple board meetings this week and every County Commissioner eloquently outlined heartbreaking stories from their districts.
This is not a north end of county issue, nor is it a barrier island issue. The problem is not confined to any socioeconomic area, nor any racial demographic.
This is an Escambia County issue, and the help our constituents need and deserve exists. Please help our citizens begin to recover now.
Opinion submitted by Escambia County Commission Chairman Steven Barry on behalf of Escambia County.
Latest Update: COVID-19 Numbers In Escambia, Santa Rosa Counties
September 27, 2020
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY.
Due to increased coverage of Hurricane Sally and the subsequent recovery in Escambia County, this report was not published for two weeks. We’ve also revamped the report slightly; you’ll find more information in an easier to read format listed by county below. It is also important to note that testing sites in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were closed for a period of time due to the hurricane.
ALL LISTED INCREASES BELOW ARE FROM THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 12,219 (+352)
Non-Florida residents: 1,102
Total deaths: 228 (+25)
Long-term care facility deaths : 107
Current hospitalizations: 47
Number of tests last day: 630
Percent positive last day: 5.0%
Percent positive last week: 3.7%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 8,945 (+303)
Century: 931 (+5)
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Cantonment: 907 (+38)
Molino: 145 (+4)
McDavid: 72 (+4)
Walnut Hill: 18 (+1)
Bellview: 16 (+4)
Gonzalez: 7
Perdido Key: 7
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 5,296 (+170)
Non-Florida residents: 49
Total deaths: 76 (+10)
Long-term care facility deaths: 17
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 310*
Number of tests last day: 237
Percent positive last day: 7.0%
Santa County cases by location:
Milton: 2,786 (+18)
Gulf Breeze: 766 (+33)
Navarre: 663 (+26)
Pace: 432 (+25)
Jay: 147 (+3)
Bagdad: 12
Florida cases:
Total cases: 698,682
Florida residents: 690,387
Deaths: 14,022
Hospitalizations: 43,469*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Church Food Giveaway Thursday On Nine Mile Road
September 27, 2020
There will be a 10,000 pound food giveaway Thursday at St. Luke UMC on Nine Mile Road.
The parking lot will open at 8 a.m and registration will begin shortly thereafter. The food will be distributed about 9:30 a.m. on a first come, first served basis. There must be an identification per household; for Escambia (FL) and Santa Rosa County residents only.
St. Luke United Methodist Church is located at 1394 East Nine Mile Road.
Washington Beats Tate; Other Saturday Scores (With Photo Gallery)
September 27, 2020
The Washington Wildcats defeated the Tate Aggies 44-0 Saturday afternoon.
The first half saw the Wildcats score five touchdown on their first five possessions at Sherman Robinson Stadium, along with a safety. Washington was up 37-0 at the half, with a running clock for the remainder of the game. The Hurricane Sally delayed game was the season opener for both Tate and Washington.
The Tate Aggies (0-1) will be at Pensacola High School (0-0) next Friday night. The Washington Wildcats (1-0) will be on the road next Friday night at the Crestview Bulldogs (1-1). For a photo gallery, click here.
Other Saturday games:
- Escambia 24, West Florida 20
- Pensacola Catholic 12, Pine Forest 7
For Friday night scores, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Small Chance Of Rain Sunday; A Cool Down Coming This Week
September 27, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 56.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 50.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Red Cross Distributed Hurricane Relief Supplies In Walnut Hill
September 27, 2020
The American Red Cross distributed Hurricane Sally relief supplies Saturday morning at the Walnut Hill Community Center. The supplies were all claimed within a few minutes. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here Are This Week’s Road Construction Problem Spots
September 27, 2020
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities
Escambia County:
- · Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The bridge is closed and will remain closed.
- · U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) – Drivers traveling Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass and the U.S. 29 traffic between I-10 and 9 1/ 2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane shifts or closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
- · East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Safety Project from North Palafox Street to Chemstrand Road – Motorists will encounter intermittent nighttime lane closures as crews continue construction activities.
- · West Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Construction Activities West of I-10 – Motorists will encounter an intermittent, westbound lane closure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Oct. 9 as crews perform curb and gutter work in preparation for paving of the new turn lane.
- · U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road 184) to Atmore Highway (State Road (S.R.) 97)- Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane restrictions as crews continue construction activities at various locations.
- · Mobile Highway (U.S. 90) Intersection Improvements at New Warrington Road
(S.R. 295) – Construction activities continue. Drivers can expect lane closures between 9:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Santa Rosa County:
- Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The bridge is closed and will remain closed.
- S.R. 87 Resurfacing from Clear Creek to S.R. 4- Drivers can expect intermittent daytime lane closures along the 14-mile corridor through fall 2020 as crews perform paving operations.
- · S.R. 4 Routine Bridge Inspection over Big Juniper Creek – Motorists will encounter intermittent eastbound lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 as crews perform a routine bridge inspection.
- · S.R. 87 North Underground Utility Operations from Park Avenue to S.R. 89 – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 through Saturday, Oct. 3 as crews perform underground utility repairs.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.