Pensacola Councilwoman Sherri Myers told Inweekly that City Administrator Eric Olson had no idea that city residents had any damage from the Tuesday tornado until she called the mayor’s office.
“Mr. Olson told me that city hall hadn’t gotten any phone calls,” Myers told Inweekly. She had visited the Dunmire area, which is in the city, and saw the devastation. See map.
Former Council President Maren Deweese has written on her blog that Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward went on 1620 NewsRadio Wednesday morning and said the only damage in the City of Pensacola was minor with some trees down.
In fairness to the mayor, that is what his staff had told him.
On Tuesday night after the tornado had passed through northeast Pensacola, the Pensacola Police Department sent out this report to the Pensacola City Council and Mayor Hayward at 9:19 p.m.:
Minimal storm damage has been reported as of 9 p.m. within city limits compared with a storm that occurred February 15. Assessments by emergency personnel are on-going. Motorists are asked to please stay off roads if at all possible.
The Pensacola Police Department sent out a second report at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday. This report failed to mention the damage inside the city limits above I-10 in Dunmire Woods and Eau Claire Estates. Is it possible city staff didn’t know those neighborhoods are inside the city limits?
Assessments continue this morning of areas affected by a tornado within city limits last night, with damage having mainly occurred in the Beau Terra neighborhood from Ninth Avenue east to Scenic Highway.
As of 7 a.m. today, the following had been reported within city limits:
– Wind damage to residences on McAdams Court, Data Street, Beau Terra subdivision, and the Flats apartments, 7601 N. Ninth Ave.
– Power lines remain down in various areas but Gulf Power crews are working to get them restored.
– Trees are blocking roads in Beau Terra.
– Trees that were blocking roadways at Ninth Avenue in the area of Berkley Drive, and Tarragona and LaRua streets have been cleared.
– Railroad arms were down at Main Street and Barrancas Avenue.
– All traffic signals within city limits were reportedly in operation.Police will have increased patrols in the area of Beau Terra, La Nain, La Borde, and La Grande throughout the day.
Myers told Inweekly that after she saw the devastation, she organized the tour of Dunmire Woods and Eau Claire Estates with the help of Kraher. The mayor called her a little before 2 p.m. and said he would join her, Kraher and Bare.
“The mayor brought the Channel 3 crew with him,” she said.
Council President Charles Bare talked about the Tuesday night report from PPD on “Pensacola Speaks” yesterday:
“We get a press release saying there was minimal storm damage, but I went out for a couple hours today with Sherri Myers, our council executive (Don Kraher), to look for myself in Dunmire Woods off of 9th Avenue, and also in Eau Claire Estates. Both of those had major damage. Lots of roof damage, lots of trees down.”
Sources at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center shared that City Administrator Olson did show up for about an hour on Tuesday but left soon afterwards. The city appeared to have communications issues with city police and fire chains of command–which the two police reports to city council indicate.
Councilwoman Myers is worried about the city’s ability to handle a major storm event. The mayor’s office has placed both its fire chief and deputy fire chief on administrative leave. The city administrator, public information officer and police chief have held their positions for less than a year.
“We need better communications,” said Myer. “I worry whether we could handle a major event like a hurricane.”
Pensacola City Hall and City residents have bounced back today. The mayor’s office has established a recovery page on its website.
Councilman Bare said on the radio that he was impressed with the positive attitudes of city residents in Dunmire Woods and Eau Claire Estates:
“I’m amazed by the attitudes of people, just the optimism, and just happy to be alive. We are used to this. We have been hit by disasters before, and the one thing I’ve heard from so many was that people just showed up to help. You know, there weren’t people out there trying to gouge for prices to cut down trees. They went out and just pitched in. There’ve been some companies out helping, but there’ve been a lot of individuals, military, just people that want to come out and help, show up with a chainsaw. We have learned, I think, from the past, that we have got to help ourselves get back on our feet.”