PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — High winds and rough surf swept through parts of the Florida Panhandle as Hurricane Isaias closed in, prompting area residents to prepare for the storm and others to leave the area.
Officials in Pensacola Beach urged residents on Friday to be storm prepared or evacuate before time runs out.
The inclement weather appeared to arrive suddenly in Pensacola Beach. Spots like the Sneaky Tiki Bar were covered part of the interior of its tiki huts with shutters.
Jennifer Jackson, the co-owner of the bar, told 7News said she and her staff expect high water to come in later on, as it tends to happen during a major storm.
“October is a great month in Pensacola Beach — tons of weddings, great weather,” said Jackson.
But definitely not this particular October weekend, with Isaias inching closer. Late Friday morning, employees at Sneaky Tiki were seen securing picnic tables and stacking up items tied up with with cord and with rope, as they protected the property as best they could.
“The storm surge is what it is, but the winds have been picking up, and so that’s kind of what we’re a little concerned with right now,” said Jackson.
And on a beach with a lot of tiki huts and picnic tables, usually filled with locals and tourists, Isaias is definitely not welcome. Bars and restaurants closed their doors with messages for customers and for the storm itself.
An expected landfall is also not the best news for folks who never expected a possible Category 3 storm on their wedding day.
“All that matters is that we’re getting married. It doesn’t matter who’s there or what happens, and so, I do think that’s the most important thing,” said bride-to-be Cassy Cooper.
First responders from around the Southeast gathered on Pensacola Beach, along with more than a dozen ambulances.
Miami’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2 is on the way to Pensacola, just in case they are needed.
“Fingers crossed that this storm doesn’t do damage, that we are able to get open for business sooner than later and can welcome people back to our little slice of paradise here,” said Jackson.
For the past 48 hours, residents have scrambled to make preparations, but some of the them told 7News that many people have gone ahead and decided to leave.
First responders have also decided to leave the area for the time being. They plan to return and try to fill in all the gaps for emergency services once Isaias is gone.
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