Flood of 2014: Damage lingers one year later
- April 28, 2015
- / Louis Cooper
- / community-dashboard
As the one year anniversary approaches of historic floods in Pensacola, many of the damaged public buildings and nonprofit facilities are still in the process of recovery.
On April 29-30, 2014, a deluge brought more than 20 inches of rain to the Pensacola area, creating major flooding that covered streets, washed out roads, submerged cars and invaded homes and businesses.
[caption id="attachment_9675" align="alignright" width="450"]
Michael Spooneybarger/Pensacola Today[/caption]
One of the biggest impacts of the flood occurred at the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility. The basement there flooded on April 29. Less than 24 hours later, the building experienced a natural gas explosion with about 600 people in the building. Two inmates were killed and 180 inmates and jail personnel were injured.
Since then, the county has spent more than $2.4 million housing inmates in Santa Rosa and Oklaoosa counties. The Escambia County Commission hasn't decided what to do next.
“We’ve had a very good conversation about replacing those beds, but there’s been no determination,” said Commission Chairman Lumon May. “I think there are maybe six sites up for consideration. I’d like for it to be built at the existing site, and I'd like for it to be done as soon as possible.”
A grand jury had found no grounds for criminal prosecutions related to the explosion, but May said much still remains undecided about how to proceed.
“We have our engineers and our causation expert,” he said. “FEMA has their engineer. The insurance company has their experts. There is still a lot of arguing as to what caused it. We have a lot of litigation.”
The commission is set to discuss how to move forward on the jail issue on May 14. Previously, the commission has discussed building a $140 million, 1,476 bed facility that would replace both the damaged building and the nearby old jail, which is still in use. However, those plans may be impacted by the ultimate location and budget.
Escambia Clinic
The Escambia Community Clinic, which provides low-cost medical care to 30,000 indigent, working poor and uninsured residents every year, saw about 2.5 feet of water in its main clinic at 2200 N. Palafox St.
[caption id="attachment_22383" align="alignright" width="450"]
The Escambia Community Clinic, located at 2200 N. Palafox St. saw about 2.5 feet of water during the April 2014 flood. Because the facility has flooded several times, clinic officials decided to relocate to a professional building located at 14 W. Jordan St.[/caption]
Since that facility has suffered multiple floods over the years, the main clinic permanently joined ECC’s urgent care clinic, located at 14 W. Jordan St., in a former medical office building just three days after the flood.
“Renovation continues on the Jordan Street site to meet current needs,” said Ann Papadelias, grants and program manager for ECC. “The configuration of space is fragmented and not ideal for patient care.
“ECC’s x-ray unit was destroyed in the flood and this has been a hardship on our patients. A donated x-ray unit from a local physician’s office will be installed at the temporary location, and construction is currently underway to make a space for the equipment.”
The ECC Dental Clinic, located at the Escambia County Health Department on Fairfield Drive, also was damaged by the flood. It reopened in November 2014. Dental care was provided to children in mobile units while the repairs were made.
ECC has spent about $447,000 in mitigation, equipment and relocation costs associated with the flood, Papadelias said.
The 2200 Palafox St. building is empty and there are no plans for this site, Papadelias said.
Manna Food Pantries
Flood damage at Manna Food Pantries is estimated at more than $500,000, according to Manna Executive Director DeDe Flounlacker. Manna Food Pantries, which is located at 116 E. Gonzalez St., provides food for 33,000 hungry people annually.
[caption id="attachment_7374" align="alignright" width="450"]
April flood severely damaged Manna Food Pantries. The nonprofit is again in the market for property to build a new facility.[/caption]
At the time of the flooding, the pantries’ location included a main building, a warehouse, a greenhouse, five vehicles and a couple small storage buildings.
“Everything was flooded, including all vehicles and all outdoor buildings,” Floundacker said. “All contents in the main building were destroyed except the pictures on the walls and some of the warehouse steel shelving.”
The flood claimed Manna’s computers, paper records, office and pantry supplies, pantry packing tables, pantry cooler and freezer units, office furniture, two industrial scales, a walk-in cooler/freezer and about 100,000 pounds of food.
Following the flood, all of Manna’s services were suspended until July 21, 2014. When services resumed, some were curtailed because of the ongoing impact of the flood.
“Service continues to be somewhat limited, although we can now provide up to approximately 700 to 800 bags of food per week through our pantry services,” Flounlacker said. “All volunteer interviewers, plus four staff members, are housed in construction trailer. My office is currently in an RV on the property.”
The April 2014 flood was the second time in less than two years that Manna had flooded. The group is in the process of reviewing potential new sites. Flounlacker hopes to find a new location within the next month.
Warrington Tax Collector’s Office
The Warrington office of the Escambia County Tax Collector saw more than 18 inches of water during the flood, causing about $150,000 in damages to the contents, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley. That office, located at Navy Boulevard and Patton Drive, was a leased facility.
“That was the third flood at that location,” Holley said. “We are not returning to that location and are seeking new office space on the west side of the county.”
In the meantime, employees in that office were distributed to the other three tax collector's offices across the county.
The Waterfront Rescue Mission also suffered damage from the flood at its Herman Street shelter and day center, along with the ECC clinic facility located at the shelter. But all of the damage there was repaired and the facilities were up and running by July 2014.
Michael Spooneybarger/Pensacola Today[/caption]
One of the biggest impacts of the flood occurred at the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility. The basement there flooded on April 29. Less than 24 hours later, the building experienced a natural gas explosion with about 600 people in the building. Two inmates were killed and 180 inmates and jail personnel were injured.
Since then, the county has spent more than $2.4 million housing inmates in Santa Rosa and Oklaoosa counties. The Escambia County Commission hasn't decided what to do next.
“We’ve had a very good conversation about replacing those beds, but there’s been no determination,” said Commission Chairman Lumon May. “I think there are maybe six sites up for consideration. I’d like for it to be built at the existing site, and I'd like for it to be done as soon as possible.”
A grand jury had found no grounds for criminal prosecutions related to the explosion, but May said much still remains undecided about how to proceed.
“We have our engineers and our causation expert,” he said. “FEMA has their engineer. The insurance company has their experts. There is still a lot of arguing as to what caused it. We have a lot of litigation.”
The commission is set to discuss how to move forward on the jail issue on May 14. Previously, the commission has discussed building a $140 million, 1,476 bed facility that would replace both the damaged building and the nearby old jail, which is still in use. However, those plans may be impacted by the ultimate location and budget.
Escambia Clinic
The Escambia Community Clinic, which provides low-cost medical care to 30,000 indigent, working poor and uninsured residents every year, saw about 2.5 feet of water in its main clinic at 2200 N. Palafox St.
[caption id="attachment_22383" align="alignright" width="450"]
The Escambia Community Clinic, located at 2200 N. Palafox St. saw about 2.5 feet of water during the April 2014 flood. Because the facility has flooded several times, clinic officials decided to relocate to a professional building located at 14 W. Jordan St.[/caption]
Since that facility has suffered multiple floods over the years, the main clinic permanently joined ECC’s urgent care clinic, located at 14 W. Jordan St., in a former medical office building just three days after the flood.
“Renovation continues on the Jordan Street site to meet current needs,” said Ann Papadelias, grants and program manager for ECC. “The configuration of space is fragmented and not ideal for patient care.
“ECC’s x-ray unit was destroyed in the flood and this has been a hardship on our patients. A donated x-ray unit from a local physician’s office will be installed at the temporary location, and construction is currently underway to make a space for the equipment.”
The ECC Dental Clinic, located at the Escambia County Health Department on Fairfield Drive, also was damaged by the flood. It reopened in November 2014. Dental care was provided to children in mobile units while the repairs were made.
ECC has spent about $447,000 in mitigation, equipment and relocation costs associated with the flood, Papadelias said.
The 2200 Palafox St. building is empty and there are no plans for this site, Papadelias said.
Manna Food Pantries
Flood damage at Manna Food Pantries is estimated at more than $500,000, according to Manna Executive Director DeDe Flounlacker. Manna Food Pantries, which is located at 116 E. Gonzalez St., provides food for 33,000 hungry people annually.
[caption id="attachment_7374" align="alignright" width="450"]
April flood severely damaged Manna Food Pantries. The nonprofit is again in the market for property to build a new facility.[/caption]
At the time of the flooding, the pantries’ location included a main building, a warehouse, a greenhouse, five vehicles and a couple small storage buildings.
“Everything was flooded, including all vehicles and all outdoor buildings,” Floundacker said. “All contents in the main building were destroyed except the pictures on the walls and some of the warehouse steel shelving.”
The flood claimed Manna’s computers, paper records, office and pantry supplies, pantry packing tables, pantry cooler and freezer units, office furniture, two industrial scales, a walk-in cooler/freezer and about 100,000 pounds of food.
Following the flood, all of Manna’s services were suspended until July 21, 2014. When services resumed, some were curtailed because of the ongoing impact of the flood.
“Service continues to be somewhat limited, although we can now provide up to approximately 700 to 800 bags of food per week through our pantry services,” Flounlacker said. “All volunteer interviewers, plus four staff members, are housed in construction trailer. My office is currently in an RV on the property.”
The April 2014 flood was the second time in less than two years that Manna had flooded. The group is in the process of reviewing potential new sites. Flounlacker hopes to find a new location within the next month.
Warrington Tax Collector’s Office
The Warrington office of the Escambia County Tax Collector saw more than 18 inches of water during the flood, causing about $150,000 in damages to the contents, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley. That office, located at Navy Boulevard and Patton Drive, was a leased facility.
“That was the third flood at that location,” Holley said. “We are not returning to that location and are seeking new office space on the west side of the county.”
In the meantime, employees in that office were distributed to the other three tax collector's offices across the county.
The Waterfront Rescue Mission also suffered damage from the flood at its Herman Street shelter and day center, along with the ECC clinic facility located at the shelter. But all of the damage there was repaired and the facilities were up and running by July 2014.
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