Massive Flood Hits Escambia County; One Drowns, Millions In Damage (With Photo Gallery)

Historic flooding and storms hit Escambia County from a portion of Cantonment south Tuesday night, claiming the life of at least one person, leaving dozens of people trapped by rising water, plunging tens of thousands into the dark, and doing millions of dollars worth of damage.

An Pensacola woman drowned when she drove into high water on Highway 29 in Cantonment, becoming the first confirmed fatality from the storms. [Read more...]

Likely hundreds of people were trapped in vehicle submerged across the area or in their homes as flood waters began to rise. In the Bristol Park subdivision off County Road 97 and Highway 297A, dozens of residents were forced into their attics as water became chest-high or deeper. Firefighters from across the county worked for hours to rescue those residents, forced to use chainsaws to cut through roofs. An estimated 80 to 100 people were rescued from the subdivision.

Over 17,000 Gulf Power customers in Escambia County were without power early Wednesday morning, with the utility saying it could be Wednesday evening or later before some were restored. [Read more...]

Damages to homes, businesses and public infrastructure such as roads and bridges reach well into the millions. An estimated dollar figure won’t be known for several day. Rep. Clay Ingram said early Wednesday morning that he had spoken to Gov. Rick Scott, with the governor promising do all he can do to help the Panhandle recover from the storm.

For more reader submitted photos, click here.

NorthEscambia.com will update this story and the rest of our site with the latest information throughout the day.

Pictured top: Rain fell so rapidly Tuesday night that the I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge flooded. Pictured below: Flooding at McDonald’s on Highway 29 in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photos, click to enlarge.