00:00Rain and wind certainly already making its presence here in Pensacola. Take a look behind me.
00:06Water really, really choppy already this afternoon. We are here at Sanders Beach Park in an area where
00:12storm surge could cause significant flooding as Hurricane ECAS moves closer to the Gulf Coast.
00:19And the danger is not just to homes along the water. It's also going to be to Boastock's marinas
00:24that could take a hit as water levels rise as well. Now take a look at some of the video
00:28that
00:29we got throughout the day. People already racing to get ready. Boat owners securing their vessels
00:34while others are sandbagging and taking steps to protect their homes and businesses from the
00:39flooding. But with rain already falling and the water getting rougher, right, there's growing
00:44concern about what happens when the stronger winds and storm surge arrive as well. ECS, a major
00:50Category 3 hurricane, storm surge could push water six to nine feet above ground in vulnerable
00:56coastal areas that could put homes, roads, and again, boats, docks and marinas that could
01:03really take a hit here. We were able to talk to people in the area that were getting ready,
01:08even a father and son duo that are going to be actually riding this storm out from a boat. We
01:14spoke to local officials who say maybe not the best idea, but take a listen to what they're going through.
01:20Don't take anything for granted. Prepare for the worst case scenario. You look at these pylons right
01:28here. We've got a possible, or these over here, maybe 12 feet of storm surge, right? Once we are above
01:3512 feet, everything comes loose and goes that way. But it's a floating pier. Anything that's fixed
01:43is not in great shape with any amount of storm surge over three or four feet.
01:50And he makes a great point. We've even seen in past hurricanes, including Sally,
01:54how surge can flood homes and really just wreck havoc on boats and marinas with vessels breaking free
02:00and docks damaged by rising water. Here, the concern is what happens when the water rises further
02:06and the winds get even stronger here. OK, so we bring you back live to where we are right now.
02:12Again,
02:12the area that we're in currently, this is part of one of the evacuation zones here in Pensacola. So
02:18this is going to be an area to watch certainly over the next couple of hours. We're talking about that
02:23landfall really just now potentially only a couple of hours away later on this evening. So we're going to
02:29continue certainly to watch the rainfall here also just continue to monitor conditions. But
02:35you know, the biggest thing I just got out of a press conference with a lot of local officials
02:40here in town, I mentioned, you know, that some people are riding it out in their boats. They said,
02:46bad idea. So we spoke to that gentleman. They seem to have a good grip as to what they're going
02:51to do
02:51and the plan that they have. But ultimately, local officials in town say,
02:55don't do that. We're here in Pensacola. Allie Reed, we'll talk to you guys soon.
03:00All right. Hoping for the best for that man and his family. But definitely
03:03listen to officials is the best way to go. We'll keep checking back with you later, Allie.
