Hurricane Zeta Update at noon, Wednesday, Oct. 28

Current Situation

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Escambia County issued resolution R2020-152, declaring a local state of emergency.
Escambia County Emergency Operation Center has been activated at a level 2 due to COVID-19 and will be activated for Hurricane Zeta beginning Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Public works crews are implementing their storm preparation protocol which includes fueling of equipment, stocking vehicles, placing employees on standby for after-hours road clearing, removing trash cans and lifeguard towers from Pensacola Beach and checking drainage systems.
County offices will be open on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at normal hours.
The Perdido Landfill will run a normal schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

"The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center is activated and closely monitoring Zeta's path," said Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore. "We hope everyone has taken the time to prepare for a high wind event with the possibility for tornadoes. Everyone should be in their safe place by 5 p.m. tonight while the storm is expected to hit our area tonight. There is still time to make sure you are safely sheltered."

Weather Update from National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center

Zeta is forecast to make landfall along the southeast Louisiana coast this afternoon/evening and quickly move across our region tonight.
Zeta will most likely move into south MS as a hurricane and still be a strong tropical storm as it moves into our area.
Threat of storm surge 2-4 ft. with a high risk of rip currents and 10-15 ft. surf in our area.
Potential impacts include damaging winds, dangerous surf, rainfall of 2-3 inches and tornadoes
Potential for downed trees and powerlines
Scattered power outages are likely
Summary of Watches/Warnings/Advisories In Effect:
- Tropical Storm Warning – Entire area
- Storm Surge Warning – Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, and Santa Rosa Counties
- Coastal Flood Advisory – Okaloosa County
- High Rip Current and High Surf Warning – Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Counties
- Flash Flood Watch – Along and west of I-65

Safety Tips

As a reminder, residents are encouraged to prepare their disaster kits now, which should include seven days of food and water supplies for after the storm arrives. Residents are also encouraged to fuel all vehicles and generators, and prepare all medications needed by family and pets. Individuals should also consider having at least two emergency supply kits, one full kit at home and smaller portable kits in their workplace, vehicle or other places they spend time. Remember, this year's disaster kit might need to look a little different if you must go to a shelter—make sure to include face coverings, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
With possible flooding forecast for our area, please do not drive into hazardous flood water and remember to Turn Around Don't Drown®. Follow these flood safety tips:
- Get to higher ground – Get out of areas subject to flooding.
- Do not drive into water – Do not drive or walk into flooded areas. It only takes 6" of water to knock you off your feet and 2 feet of water to carry away a vehicle.
- Stay informed – Monitor local radar, television, weather radio, internet or social media for updates.

Sand is still available at the following locations:

Baars Field Athletic Park - 13001 Sorrento Road, Pensacola
Brent Athletic Park - 4711 N. W St., Pensacola
Don Sutton Park - 2320 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
Equestrian Center - 7750 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
Escambia County Road Department - 601 Highway 297-A, Pensacola
Ferry Pass Middle School - 8355 Yancey Lane, Pensacola, sand will be on the northwest corner of school property on Parazine Street
John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park - 555 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola
Travis M. Nelson Park - 4541 County Road 4, Pensacola

The sand is available on a first come, first serve basis. Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels to one of the following locations. View map of sand locations here.

Storm Preparation Actions You Can Take Now

Traffic Conditions

Check for Escambia County road closures 24/7 at www.myescambia.com/roadissuesmap.
In Escambia County, we work with law enforcement to close bridges for safety at sustained (not gusts) wind speeds of 39 miles per hour or greater.

PARTNER UPDATES

Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart

Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart plans to continue its regular schedule for Wednesday, Oct. 28, for drive-thru COVID-19 testing at its locations in Pensacola and Santa Rosa County.

City of Pensacola

City of Pensacola residents are asked not to place additional debris curbside until after Tropical Storm Zeta moves through the Gulf Coast and is no longer a threat to the Pensacola area. Sanitation customers should also secure their garbage and recycling cans and not place them curbside until after the storm has passed.

·The following City of Pensacola offices and facilities will be closed to the public at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 28 due to Tropical Storm Zeta:

City of Pensacola administrative offices
City Hall

Community Health Northwest Florida

Due to expected inclement weather associated with Hurricane Zeta, for the protection of patients and staff, please note the following changes to Community Health Northwest Florida's health center operations for Wednesday, Oct. 28:
- The regular Covid-19 mobile testing at Brownsville Community Center and Cantonment Pediatrics will be suspended.
- All care sites including extended hours walk-in care sites, Adult Walk-in Care (W. Jordan St.) and Pediatric Convenient Care (N. 9th Ave.), will be closing at 4 p.m.

Debris Collection

With the approach of Zeta, the county is focusing on debris management collections. As of Tuesday, Oct. 27, Escambia County has collected approximately 2,710,891 cubic yards of debris throughout the county.
Debris collection activities will temporarily suspend service at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 to allow for a safe trick or treating experience.

ECAT

ECAT (Escambia County Area Transit) will suspend all bus and UWF trolley service beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. ECAT will resume service when it is safe to do so. Riders may call 850-595-3228 or visit www.GoECAT.com for additional information.
Escambia County Community Transportation (ECCT) will run regular service on Wednesday, Oct. 28 until 3 p.m. Any service after 3 p.m. will be for life-sustaining or emergency services. Please call ECCT at 850-595-0501 for additional information.

Escambia County School District

All Escambia County schools will dismiss an hour early, and after school activities have been canceled for Wednesday, Oct. 28. Updates and announcements regarding attendance on Thursday, Oct. 29, will be provided on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and communicated via local media, through School Messenger calls, as well as on the school district website.

Escambia County Supervisor of Elections

Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David H. Stafford has announced that the Early Voting hours for Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29 have changed due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Zeta to our area. On Wednesday, Oct. 28 all 10 early voting locations will close at 3 p.m. and will reopen at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Emerald Coast Utilities Authority

·Effective immediately, a Precautionary Boil Water Notice -PBWN- has been issued by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority to customers located in the following area:

oDanamar Dr., between Spanish Trail and Capri Dr.

oFutura Dr.

oCapri Dr., between Leesway Blvd. and Danamar Dr.

·All Sanitation collections scheduled for today, Wednesday, October 28, for ECUA customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties will be conducted as planned. Collections may be suspended in the afternoon depending on the arrival time of winds. If all routes are not completed today, they will be completed on Thursday as soon as it is safe for collection vehicles to be back out on the road.

·Where possible, we encourage our customers to secure their cans in an enclosed structure (i.e. garage) or to an outside fixed structure after today's collection is completed. Any unexpected changes to this status will be posted on our website, on our Facebook page, and communicated to local media.

FEMA

FEMA Mobile Registration Intake Centers in Escambia closed temporarily at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 as a precautionary measure for Hurricane Zeta. The centers will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29 with the goal to reopen on Friday, Oct. 30.

Feeding The Gulf Coast

Here is a list of upcoming mobile distributions, FTGC Partner Agencies and Child Nutrition sites

·Website:https://www.feedingthegulfcoast.org/learn-more/storm-update "Find Help" to locate a pantry by address, zip code, or city.

·Phone: (888) 704-FOOD(3663) or 2-1-1

First Judicial Circuit Courts

First Judicial Circuit courts in Escambia County will close at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, due to anticipated effects from Hurricane Zeta. Courts in Santa Rosa County will close at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Court officials will continue to monitor the situation as it develops, and will announce any closures for Thursday as soon as possible.

Florida Department of Health

FDOH-Escambia’s drive-thru testing site is temporarily closed due to inclement weather. Specimen collection is expected to resume normal operations Monday, Nov. 2.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore announced that the Okaloosa Area in Florida is closed as of Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. ahead of the approaching storm. The anticipated intense winds, rough seas, and heavy rain will impact this area and are expected to cause flooding of roads and coastal areas. Current predications indicate that the park may be affected by the storm. The Fort Pickens, Highway 399/ J. Earle Bowden Way, and Opal Beach Areas remain closed due to damage from Hurricane Sally. The Perdido Key/ Johnson Beach Area closed on Monday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.

Gulf Power

Gulf Power stands ready to respond to any potential power outages as Hurricane Zeta nears the Gulf Coast. Even as weather bands move through later today, lineworkers will respond to power outages and restore power as long as it is safe to do so, which is usually if winds are under 35 mph.
A storm restoration workforce of more than 2,300 strong, including approximately 1,000 Gulf Power personnel and contractors and an additional 1,300 lineworkers, tree trimmers and support personnel – the vast majority from sister company Florida Power & Light – are prepositioned to immediately begin the process of restoring power from outages caused by Zeta. If the storm’s impact proves greater than currently anticipated, Gulf Power has additional FPL teams ready to travel to quickly ramp up restoration efforts.

Pensacola Christian Academy

Pensacola Christian Academy will dismiss Grades 1-12 classes, after school activities, and ESD one hour early on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Zeta.
Kindergarten will follow regular schedule, but Grades 1-12 will dismiss at 2 p.m. The early dismissal allows for the completion of bus routes prior to the arrival of strong winds, therefore all afternoon bus schedules will be one hour earlier than normal. Sports practices will end at 4 p.m. and Extended School Day will close at 4:30 p.m.
Information regarding Thursday’s schedule will be communicated Wednesday.

Pensacola State College

All Pensacola State College offices, on-campus activities and face-to-face classes will be suspended at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) due to Hurricane Zeta.
All online classes will proceed as scheduled. In the event that online classes are interrupted by a power outage or students are unable to attend due to some unforeseen event, students should contact their instructors to make up any missed assignments.
All College activities will resume at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29.
For more information, email Sheila Nichols, the College’s Executive Director of Marketing, at snichols@pensacolastate.edu.

NAS Pensacola

Due to potential inclement weather from Hurricane Zeta, Naval Air Station Pensacola will be in Condition of Readiness (COR) I as of Wednesday, Oct. 28.
To limit traffic on the installation and for everyone’s safety, only mission essential personnel will be required to report for duty after 1 p.m. today until further notice.
COR I is set when a tropical storm or hurricane is anticipated in the Gulf Coast Region within 12 hours. No personnel evacuations have been ordered at this time.

West Florida Public Libraries

Libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 to prepare for Zeta.

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