Hello, Friends —

Hurricane Sally made landfall early Wednesday morning near Gulf Shores, Alabama, bringing torrential rain, significant storm surge, and historic flooding.

Parts of the Pensacola Bay Bridge have collapsed, and many across the region have lost power.

• A Hurricane Warning is in effect from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Okaloosa/Walton County line, FL.
• A Storm Surge Warning is in effect from Dauphin Island, AL to the Walton/Bay County Line, FL.
• A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from East of the Okaloosa/Walton County line, FL to Indian Pass, FL and from the MS/AL border to the Mouth of the Pearl River.

West of Pensacola, Hurricane Sally has already produced rainfall in excess of 20 inches, with more to come. Swells from Sally will continue to affect the coast from the Florida Big Bend westward to southeastern Louisiana during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

A few tornadoes may occur today and tonight across portions of northwest FL, southern AL, and southwestern GA.

In short: if you don’t have to leave your home, don’t.

This morning, Governor DeSantis spoke about the storm, urging people to stay cautious, and discussing the storm’s impacts on Florida. Watch it below:

Click for video!

Finally, although some nursing homes in NW Florida have lost power, all currently have operating generators and none are experiencing flooding at this time. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, they are being cared for, even if you are temporarily unable to reach them.

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

Please remember: 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!