Pensacola placed under hurricane watch

From the City of Pensacola:

As of 8:30 a.m. Monday, Pensacola has been placed under a hurricane watch by the National Weather Service (NWS) as Tropical Storm Michael tracks into the Gulf of Mexico.

Michael is expected to become a hurricane on Monday and reach the northeastern Gulf Coast by mid-week. It is possible the storm could be a major hurricane when it makes landfall.

There is still a lot of uncertainty where Michael will make landfall. NWS’s current track has it heading toward Apalachicola, putting Pensacola on the western side of the storm.

Surf is already increasing across Panhandle beaches. NWS forecasts Pensacola may receive up to four inches of rain. The Pensacola area will begin experiencing wind gusts as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Governor Rick Scott has declared a State of Emergency for Escambia County.

At this time, no evacuations have been ordered for Escambia County.

Residents should complete their emergency plan as soon as possible. Residents should have three days of food and water, as well as all needed medications. Know your evacuation zone.

As we continue to monitor the storm, Pensacola International Airport passengers holding reservations for travel this week are encouraged to check with their airlines frequently for flight status information.

Public Works and Facilities crews will continue to be out prior to the weather event as part of normal precautionary operations. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as they become available. If you see a storm drain that appears to be obstructed, please remove the obstruction.

City officials continue to monitor the weather and will aim to take necessary precautions. We would like to take this opportunity to remind residents to be mindful of impending weather forecasts and access to health and safety services.

City Notifications – http://cityofpensacola.com/List.aspx

Escambia County Emergency Management – https://www.facebook.com/bereadyec/

National Weather Service – http://www.weather.gov/

Weather Radar – http://weartv.com/weather/radar

Pensacola 311
Now citizens have three easy ways to contact 311 — simply dialing 311, visiting this website, or by downloading our Pensacola 311 mobile app, available for iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry.

Non-Emergencies Only – Pensacola 311 is designed to handle non-emergency issues only. If you require emergency assistance, please utilize one of the following numbers:

Fire/Police/Emergency Medical Services: 911

Pensacola Energy: 850-474-5300

Sanitation Department: 850-435-1890