Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida • 4

4A Pensacola News Journal Friday, June 10, 2005 Page edited by flon Sirmans, 435-8525 after 4 p.m. TROPICAL STORM ARLENE Tate stack of ydDioir belemiguinigs wm About inventories in terms of coverage, terms and limitations." For some property owners, Arlene is a reminder of all things lost. Ivan destroyed Donna and E.A. Jackson's retirement home on Bay Street in Gulf Breeze. "We have photos," Donna Jackson said.

"But we have nothing else to lose." The Jacksons' wind and flood insurance claims remain unresolved eight months after the storm. They continue to pay their premiums. For now, the couple reside in Pensacola. But, Donna Jackson has chosen not to worry about Arlene. "What can we do?" she asked.

take precautions to protect their property. "You want to take additional steps to protect your home from further damage," said Tami Torres, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Financial Services. Storm preparation, however, requires residents to take more than an inventory and structural precautions. In the lead up to the 2005 hurricane season, Mary Beth Price, a State Farm agent in Gulf Breeze, has been busy. "Everybody's been on pins and needles about this hurricane season," Price said.

"We've been trying to get everyone reviewed so they know what they have Lynette Wilson Pen sacolaNewsJournal.com As Tropical Storm Arlene heads toward the Panhandle, insurance specialists urge property owners to take inventory, documenting everything no matter what condition the property is in. "The best thing to do is take photos of the property in its current state," said Tom Hagerty, spokesman for State Farm Florida Insurance Co. "And keep that inventory in a safe place." For property owners still making or waiting on repairs from Hurricane Ivan, any additional storm damage will be treated as a separate claim, Hagerty added. Ryan Priest, spokesman for Allstate Floridian Insurance Sewagewater All Emerald Coast Utilities Authority plants are up and running. Capacity remains taxed, but ECUA is prepared.

Sandbags Sand and bags will be available at Midway and Holley-Navarre fire departments this morning. Pensacola Hardware, 20 E. Gregory is scheduled to receive 10,000 sandbags for sale this morning. Oriskany The retired aircraft carrier will remain moored safely, according to plans at the Port of Pensacola. Debris Debris piles are a concern in beach areas.

Construction crews started securing debris on sites and lowering cranes. Area marinas All boats are moving out of Beach Marina today. Seville Harbour and Bahia Mar are taking precautions but do not anticipate evacuating boats. Cancellation Belmont Arts and Cultural Center's Belmont's Bizzare scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. Representatives from the arts center have no plans to reschedule the event at this time.

Details: 429-1222. Let us know about your event Active season arrives too early, many locals say --HJ -fy wgs TonyGibersonPensacolaNewsJournal.com Pensacola Beach resident Gary Turner resides in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer on the site where his home once stood. "You'd think we'd get a little breather," he said of storms. 'Not too much left to take away' Troy Moon PensacolaNewsJournal.com Sun worshippers lounged underneath aquamarine umbrellas and stared out past the sand, past the ugly brown seaweed that traces the shoreline and past the boats that bobbed miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. She was out there, somewhere.

Snorting, fussing, probably spitting and picking up more of a bad attitude with each passing hour. And on Thursday, as Tropical Storm Arlene gained steam, storm-weary locals just prayed that the first named tropical storm of the still-young hurricane season would either steer clear or lose her bluster before she arrived on our battered doorstep. "It won't be as bad as Ivan," said Richard Perkins, 44, a Myrtle Grove resident lounging Thursday at Pensacola Beach. "But any hurricane would be bad enough." Throughout the Pensacola Bay Area, residents braced themselves and made plans to brace their homes less than nine months after getting their clocks cleaned by Ivan the Terrible in September. They're hoping this still-young storm will turn out to be nothing more than Arlene the Annoying.

But they weren't taking any chances. Tm scared admitted Shay Newby, 13, a Pensacola Christian Academy student as Shay Abney she shopped with her grandmother, Rosa Abney, for plywood to cover windows at home. When Ivan hit, Abney and Shay stayed at home while Hurricane Ivan ripped doors from the family's home. Now, Abney said she'll probably flee for higher ground if Arlene poses a real threat. "Before, I didn't used to worry about storms as much," said Abney, 63.

"Now, all they have to do is say and I'm worried." She's not alone. By 3 p.m., The Home Depot on Store the home inventory in a safe place, such as a safe deposit box. Update the inventory often, especially after making a major purchase. If time permits, share your inventory with your insurance agent, to determine whether your coverage meets your needs. And definitely record any purchases made post-Hurricane Ivan, Priest added.

Anyone who has temporary repairs, such as blue roofs, needs to weather reports today to determine what they will do with the temporary buildings they are using, including the trailer used to house the lifeguards, he said. Staff also will move the wooden lifeguard stations near the Gulf back about 50 feet and place them on top of the berm, Lee said. "At the first of next week, we'll move them back," he said. "We should know more by about noon (today) as to what we'll do with the rest of them." Other beach communities also are preparing for the storm. On Perdido Key, Eddie Glass stood in his yard and watched as workers made repairs to his Siquenza Drive home.

The waterfront home was flattened during Hurricane Ivan last September. Glass, who has resided on the key for more than 17 years, joked that he was too old to worry about what damage Arlene might cause. "There's nothing I can do," he said, lifting his arms up and shrugging his shoulders. Glass said he'll try to secure today the $20,000 worth of building supplies cluttering his front yard. "You can't fight mother nature.

If you live on the key, it's only a matter of time before something hits again." Preparations also have been going on at Navarre Beach, where Ivan still is on everyone's mind. Santa Rosa County Engineer Roger Blaylock expects Gulf Boulevard to experience flooding from the storm but remain passable. "I do anticipate Gulf Boulevard going under in places," he said. "But not like Ivan." The county is moving road equipment and vehicles to higher ground on the beach and will monitor conditions this weekend to determine whether further action is needed, Blaylock said. weather nears said.

"Some wanted a local contractor and are on a waiting list; some are still fighting with their insurance company; and some have no insurance money to put on a new roof." United Way programs in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have nearly 500 people approved for roof repair assistance, and more cases are under review, spokeswoman Ashley Hodge said. And since June 1, First Call for Help, an assistance program, has taken 63 calls, most of them about roofing repairs still needed after Ivan, Hodge said. Since May 16, about 20 people have come in for free vinyl billboards that Lamar Outdoor Advertising has donated. The heavy, foldable vinyls have a life expectancy of several years compared with the sheeting, which in many cases lasted only about three months. "Today alone we had six people come in for one," Hodge said.

"We anticipate an even higher number of calls tomorrow for the tarps." Lee As Tropical Storm Arlene approaches the Gulf Coast, insurance agents urge residents to take a detailed i home inventory. Allstate Floridian Insurance Co. provided these tips: Make a detailed written and photo or video documentation of everything, including small items, such as jewelry. urges property owners to be as detailed as possible in taking their inventory because it will help the adjuster and expedite the claim in case of damage. Gary McCracken PensacolaNewsJourn al.com "There's nothing I can do," says Perdido Key resident Eddie Glass as Tropical Storm Arlene approaches while repairs continue at his home.

of Emergency Management, said it was "simply a coincidence" that work to tie the trailers down begins today. Only about seven will be tied down by the end of the day. The rest, he said, will be secured with the quick-disconnect straps within 20 days. Anyone residing in a trailer on Pensacola Beach or any other nearby beach community should not stay in them if Tropical Storm Arlene approaches, Lopez said. "Do not, under any circumstance, weather the storm in a travel trailer," he said.

"We honestly don't know what the wind capacity is in those things and what they can withstand." Last week, Santa Rosa Island Authority board members passed a policy that will require all temporary homes including the FEMA trailers, individual trailers and temporary storage containers be tied down or moved from the island in advance of an approaching hurricane. Island Authority General Manager Buck Lee said if Arlene doesn't reach hurricane status, the policy won't be in effect. Island staffers will monitor Need a billboard? Lamar Outdoor Advertising has donated old vinyl billboards to the United Way of Escambia County. If you need one to protect your storm-damaged roof, call First Call for Help at 595-5905. after Ivan to repair homes for those who needed help, has as many as 4,000 people on its waiting list, said co-executive director Garrett Walton.

About 95 percent need some level of roof repair, he said. For the City of Pensacola, 7,000 roofing permits were issued after Ivan, building official Delmus Wilkinson said. He has no concrete way to know how many are fully repaired, but he knows work remains on many. "There's still a lot of people that I know who are sitting there with a blue roof or still are needing some type of work to be done," he my Fredie Carmichael PensacolaNewsJournal.com Gary Turner shrugs off any concern about the approach of Tropical Storm Arlene. Even though he resides in a Federal Emergency Management Agency travel trailer near the Gulf of Mexico on Pensacola Beach, it doesn't seem to bother him.

Turner won't budge, and he isn't worried. After all, he's been on the beach for more than 47 years. He's seen worse. Hurricane Ivan took his Ariola Drive home. And for the past eight months, he's been staying in the small trailer on the lot where his home once stood.

On Thursday, Turner scanned his sandy front yard and said he'd probably-eurf today and weather Forecasts. "I may tighten a few things down and make sure everything is secure," he said. "It's not going to be too bad. There's not too much left here to take away. But, like others at the beach, Turner believes the area deserves a break.

"You'd think we'd get a little breather." As Tropical Storm Arlene neared the Gulf on Thursday, people on Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and Navarre Beach continued to monitor the storm and hope for the best. Clear skies and calm waters made it hard for some to believe a tropical storm was headed their way, especially so early in the hurricane season. Heaping piles of debris still cluttered much of local beach areas, and it appeared Hurricane Ivan could have struck last week, not in September. FEMA officials said contractors are scheduled to arrive today at Pensacola Beach to tie down some of the 114 FEMA trailers on the beach, housing beach residents while their homes are rebuilt or repaired. Matthew R.

Lopez, state housing coordinator for the Division Davis Highway and Brent Lane already had sold a few hundred generators for the day, said supervisor George Banta. "Everybody seems to have a top-of mind awareness about (Arlene)," Banta said. "People are buying batteries, weather radios, window air-conditioning units and generators. People are taking it seriously." Capt'n Fun Beach Club on Pensacola Beach just reopened last week, and club managers said employees are "on notice and ready to prepare for the worst. "Yesterday, when I heard about it on the news, my stomach dropped said the club's general manager, Tom Carmichael.

"We're ready to tie everything down. We've got all new lighting, new furniture. But if it's not down tight, we're going to disassemble it and put it up." Still, folks aren't ready to panic. Not yet anyway. "We survived Ivan, so I'm not too worried," said Bill King, manager of Tiffany's on Pensacola Beach, a scruffy cinder-block building that has stood at the core of the Casino Beach area since 1955.

"We lost the roof from Ivan and had 3 feet of sand. So compared to Ivan, everything else is relative." Besides, he said, the building is a model for withstanding hurricanes. King joked about the Santa Rosa Island Authority's unsuccessful attempt to close the establishment in 1994 for a beach improvement plan. "The reason they wanted it was so they could tear it down and see what it's made of," he said. Still, others are concerned, especially with all the bad spring weather and the oddity of a possible hurricane just a week-plus into hurricane season.

In 2004, when hurricanes flocked to Florida like the whole state was Disney World, the first named storm didn't form until July 3 1. "I'm very worried because we've had strange weather and freaky storms this year," said Dottie Schwatka, age "60-plus," of Pensacola, as she shopped for hurricane supplies. "I don't know if I'll stay this time. Yes, I'm very worried." Associated Press file photo Tropical Storm Allison killed 41 in 2001 Its flooding took a toll as far north as Massachusetts. eight in Florida.

Twenty-seven of the victims drowned in freshwater floods. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies estimated damages near $5 billion, with about $4.8 billion in the Houston area alone. Janice Kilgore, public safety director for Escambia County, warned residents about underestimating Arlene. "Tropical storms give us the most trouble because people refuse to evacuate," Kilgore said. "If we give an order to evacuate, those people who stay will be responsible for their safety.

We will deal with them after the storm." More events might be canceled; our Web site will post any cancellations or postponements after they are announced. For events in today's Weekender, readers are urged to call ahead to make sure the event still is scheduled. If your group is canceling an event because of Tropical i i www.Pensacola NewsJournal.com Storm Arlene, the News Journal can help you get the word out. To report a cancellation, call 435-8542 or e-mail helpdeskPensacola NewsJournal.com. Tax-free supplies The following items are -identified specifically as being eligible for the special sales-tax holiday for hurricane preparedness.

The holiday runs through Sunday. Qualifying items selling for $20 or less: Any portable self-powered light source. Battery-powered flashlights. Battery-powered lanterns. Gas-powered lanterns.

Candles. Qualifying items selling for $25 or less: Any gas or diesel fuel container. Qualifying items selling for $30 or less: Batteries, including rechargeable (listed sizes only): AA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt (excluding automobile and boat batteries), 9-volt (excluding automobile and boat batteries). Coolers (food-storage, nonelectrical). Ice chests (food-storage, nonelectrical).

First-aid kits (first-aid kits are always exempt from sales tax, regardless of the sales price). Qualifying items selling for $50 or less: Radios (self-powered or battery-powered). Two-way radios (self-powered or battery-powered). Weather band radios (self-powered or battery-powered). Tarpaulins (tarps).

Flexible waterproof sheeting (visqueen). Ground anchor systems. Tie-down kits. Qualifying item selling for $750 or less: Portable generator that will be used to provide light or communications or to preserve perishable food in the event of a power outage because of a hurricane. Note: Battery-powered or gas-powered light sources and qualifying portable self-powered radios will qualify for the exemption even though they may have electrical cords.

Tropical storms' fury: Allison was an example Roof repairs remain as rough Sean Smith PensacolaNewsJournal.com Arlene likely won't turn into a hurricane, but it's not wise to blow off a tropical storm. Just ask Jean and Dale Peercy, who went to Houston to work with Lutheran Disaster Response three months after Tropical Storm Allison struck in June 2001. Allison crawled ashore, stalled and dumped almost 40 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center archives. "The streets were still filled with rotted debris, Sheetrock, clothing, furniture, all of their belongings, Others had mold everywhere inside their homes," said Peercy, who has been working with Rebuild Northwest Florida this year. The lessons of Allison show why a tropical storm especially one that stalls can be a serious threat.

Steve Lyons, hurricane expert for The Weather Channel, said Arlene is expected to slow slightly as it makes landfall, then continue, moving north through Georgia. "If Arlene stalls, we would be only 12 to 15 hours from seeing a disaster," he said Thursday evening. "People need to be aware that we are very early in the game. It's not even in the Gulf yet." The National Hurricane Center reported that Allison killed 41 people, including 23 in Texas and Lesley Conn PensacolaNewsJournal.com As if hail, wind and unrelenting sun were not enough, blue roof owners now have to contend with Tropical Storm Arlene. Nearly nine months after Hurricane Ivan draped more than 40,000 roofs in the Pensacola Bay Area in blue sheeting, many homes have nothing more than the temporary covering much of it badly shredded from subsequent hail, sun damage and heavy thunderstorms to protect them from the 5 to 6 inches of rain Arlene is expected to bring.

Michael Morgan's Rue Max home has a shredded blue roof and loose shingles, and he has growing concern about how high Arlene's winds might get. "I'm actually thinking about getting another tarp and going over the blue tarp again," he said Thursday. Thousands of people may be in a similar predicament. Rebuild Northwest Florida, a volunteer organization created.