Emergency Shelters, Road Closures and Utility Outages
Where to go, how to get there, which bridges close and when, and who to call when the power or water goes out in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Which shelters are open right now?
Shelters open only when the county activates them, and not every site opens for every storm. The official list of open shelters is posted by Escambia County's Storm Center and Santa Rosa County Emergency Management. You can also call 2-1-1. Use our zone checker to see the designated shelter sites nearest your address.
Designated hurricane shelter sites — Escambia County
From Escambia County's public GIS layer of hurricane shelter facilities. These are designated sites; confirm a site is open before traveling.
| Shelter site | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pensacola Bay Center | 201 E Gregory St, Pensacola 32502 | Civic center auditorium |
| Pensacola High School | 500 W Maxwell St, Pensacola 32501 | Gymnasium |
| Global Learning Academy | 100 N P St, Pensacola 32505 | Entire school |
| Warrington Middle School | 450 S Old Corry Field Rd, Pensacola 32507 | Gymnasium |
| Blue Angels Elementary | 1551 Dog Track Rd, Pensacola 32506 | Entire school |
| Jim C. Bailey Middle School | 4110 Bauer Rd, Pensacola 32506 | Entire school |
| West Florida High School | 2400 Longleaf Dr, Pensacola 32526 | Special-needs shelter (pre-registration) |
| Marie K. Young Community Center | 6405 Wagner Rd, Pensacola 32505 | Community center |
| Ferry Pass Middle School | 8355 Yancey Ave, Pensacola 32514 | Gymnasium |
| University of West Florida | 11000 University Pkwy, Pensacola 32514 | Buildings 13 and 72 |
| R.C. Lipscomb Elementary | 10200 Ashton Brosnaham Rd, Pensacola 32534 | Entire school |
| J.M. Tate High School | 1771 Tate Rd, Cantonment 32533 | Cafeteria, gymnasium |
| Molino Park Elementary | 899 Highway 97, Molino 32577 | Public & pet-friendly buildings |
| Northview High School | 4100 W Highway 4, Century 32535 | Building 1 |
Bring: medications, ID, bedding, 3 days of food and water, chargers, and comfort items. Public shelters are a last resort and may be crowded — staying with friends or family inland is usually more comfortable.
Evacuation routes and bridge closures
Bridges are the bottleneck in a Pensacola evacuation. The Florida Department of Transportation and the counties generally close high-level bridges when sustained winds reach about 40 mph; law enforcement then blocks access until crews inspect the spans after the storm.
| Bridge / road | Connects | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pensacola Bay Bridge (US-98) | Downtown Pensacola ↔ Gulf Breeze | Main route off Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach to the west. Closed for months after Sally (2020). |
| Bob Sikes Bridge | Gulf Breeze ↔ Pensacola Beach | Only road on and off central Pensacola Beach. |
| Theo Baars Bridge (SR-292) | Perdido Key ↔ mainland | Only Florida-side route off Perdido Key. |
| Navarre Beach Causeway | Navarre Beach ↔ Navarre | Only route off Navarre Beach. |
| Garcon Point Bridge (SR-281) | Gulf Breeze peninsula ↔ Milton area | Alternate route north from the peninsula. |
| I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge | Pensacola ↔ Santa Rosa County | Collapsed in Ivan (2004); rebuilt higher. |
| US-29, I-110, SR-87, SR-89, SR-97 | North to Alabama | Main inland evacuation corridors. |
Live conditions: FL511.com (or dial 511) for Florida roads and bridges, and ALGO Traffic if you are evacuating through Alabama.
Power and utility outages
| Utility | Serves | Report & track outages |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light (FPL) | Most of Pensacola, Escambia and southern Santa Rosa (former Gulf Power area) | FPL outage map · 1-800-468-8243 |
| Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) | Rural northern Escambia and Santa Rosa | erec.com |
| ECUA | Water & sewer, Escambia County | ecua.fl.gov — boil-water notices |
| Pensacola Energy | Natural gas, City of Pensacola area | Smell gas? Leave and call 911 |
Restoration follows a priority order: hospitals, emergency services and water plants first, then main lines serving the most customers, then neighborhoods and individual homes. After Ivan, some areas waited weeks; after Sally, most customers were restored within about a week.
Emergency contacts
- Emergency: 911
- Shelter, food and assistance information: 211 (United Way)
- Escambia County citizen information: see the Storm Center for the activated hotline number
- Florida Emergency Information Line: 1-800-342-3557 (when activated)
- Road conditions: 511
- Poison control: 1-800-222-1222 (CO poisoning from generators)