Hello, Friends —

As of the time of this writing (Monday, 7:00pm) Hurricane Sally has strengthened to a Category 2 storm. It may strengthen further as this evening progresses. Extremely high winds, life-threatening storm surge, heavy rain, and flash flooding are all possible. 

Schools in Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa counties will be closed on Tuesday. Schools in Escambia County will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Escambia County has issued a voluntary evacuation order for low-lying areas of the county, including Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach.

Governor DeSantis has announced that he will sign an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency for Santa Rosa County and Escambia County.

If you haven’t prepared already, don’t wait a moment longer — the best time to prepare is right now. Stock up on essential supplies: non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights (and batteries), and generators are all useful. Fill your car with gas in advance; if there is an evacuation, traffic is often terribly slow, and gas stations are likely to be sold out.

Most importantly, have a discussion with your friends and your loved ones, to make sure they are prepared, too.

The following are web sites and contact information for various federal and state agencies:

• Florida Disaster Emergency Information
• Florida Department of Transportation
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• ready.gov
• Hurricanes.gov

Important Contacts

Escambia County

• Escambia County Zone Map
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bereadyec/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/myescambia

Holmes County

• Holmes County Emergency Management
• Facebook: Holmes County Emergency Management 
• Twitter: @HCSO_FL

Okaloosa County

• Okaloosa County Emergency Operations
• Okaloosa Evacuation Route
• Okaloosa County Public Safety
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OkaloosaSheriff/
• Twitter: @OkaloosaCounty

Santa Rosa County

• Santa Rosa Evacuation Zones
• Santa Rosa County
• Facebook: SRC Emergency Management 
• Twitter: @SRCBOCC

Walton County

• Walton County Emergency Management Map
• Walton County Emergency Management
• Facebook: Walton County Emergency Management
• Twitter: @WaltonCountyEM

Traffic

• @MYFDOT
• @FL511_panhandl
• @FL511_state
• @FLHSMV

If an evacuation has been ordered or recommended for your area, evacuate. Evacuation orders are never issued lightly. If the storm is less severe than expected, it’s still better be safe than sorry.

Belongings are replaceable; lives are not.

My staff and I are continuing to monitor Hurricane Sally closely. Visit my website for additional contacts, information, and preparedness tips. Please stay safe!