PUBLIC INFORMATION:

Tropical Storm Barry Expected to Bring Heavy Rainfall, Potential Flooding to Pensacola Area

The National Weather Service of Mobile is forecasting local impacts from Tropical Storm Barry to include heavy rainfall, high risk of rip currents, high surf and potentially isolated tornadoes. Tropical Storm Barry is currently tracking west of Pensacola, with the center expected to be near the central or southeastern coast of Louisiana Friday night or Saturday. 

A flash flood watch is in effect Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon for the Pensacola area including all of Escambia County. Numerous to widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected across the region, with NWS predicting up to 5-7 inches of rainfall over the weekend, with localized amounts of 10-14 inches possible. 

A high surf advisory and high rip current risk also remain in effect through Saturday night, with surf of 3-6 feet expected through Friday. 

City of Pensacola officials are continuing to monitor the forecast, and residents are encouraged to do the same by monitoring local media and official sources such as National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center. 

City Public Works staff are taking additional measures to prepare for potentially heavy rainfall, including keeping emergency pumps and supplies on standby for emergency response. This is in addition to Public Works' normal proactive measures taken daily, which include cleaning out storm inlets and storm pipes to ensure full flow capacity.

Residents are reminded to follow these severe weather tips:

• Review or make a family plan, and make sure your disaster kit is well-stocked. 
• Do not drive through water in the roadway. It is difficult or sometimes impossible to tell how deep the water is. As little as 12 inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car, and 18-24 inches can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks. 
• If you visit the beach, be mindful of flag conditions and rip currents. Click here to view current flag conditions on Pensacola Beach.

Stay informed with these local resources:

• City notifications: cityofpensacola.com/List.aspx
• Escambia County Emergency Management: bereadyescambia.com or facebook.com/bereadyec
• National Weather Service Mobile/Pensacola: weather.gov/mob or facebook.com/nwsmobile
• Pensacola 311 (non-emergencies only): Citizens have three easy ways to contact 311: Simply dialing 311, visiting cityofpensacola.com/311, or by downloading our Pensacola 311 mobile app, available for iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry.
• City of Pensacola real-time road closures map: View City of Pensacola road closures map online here.