A Message from Mayor Stimpson - October 27
Oct 27th, 2020
Good evening,
It is 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, and I am writing to give you an update from the City of Mobile. Today, the Mobile County Health Department reports 17,093 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 75 cases. To read a detailed report, click here.
We are continuing work on our second pass through the city picking up debris left by Hurricane Sally last month. We are aware that there is still debris and trash in some areas, and we are working to collect it. We've also deployed extra assets to help collect construction debris ahead of Hurricane Zeta.
Since Hurricane Sally, our crews have removed more than 17,000 hanging or damaged tree limbs throughout the city, but there are still some trees weakened or damaged during Hurricane Sally that could pose a safety risk if Hurricane Zeta brings high winds to our area.
According to the National Weather Service in Mobile, Zeta will approach the north-central Gulf Coast starting Wednesday afternoon. Local impacts could include dangerous surf, strong winds, coastal flooding, heavy rainfall and possible tornadoes. As a result, I declared a state of emergency today that will suspend non-emergency city operations from noon on Wednesday to noon on Thursday.
Mobile Municipal Court will still hold dockets on Wednesday morning, but the traffic court docket scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Expo Hall of the Mobile Civic Center has been canceled.
There will also be no garbage collection on Thursday, October 29th. Make up for garbage will occur on Saturday October 31st. Citizens are reminded to secure trash cans ahead of the storm.
We will suspend accepting bagged yard debris at James Seals Community Center and Langan Municipal Park at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28th and resume at noon on Thursday, October 29th. The city's recycling drop-off locations will be closed during this same period of time as well.
Over the next 24 hours, we'll be providing additional updates to the public as we learn more about the potential impact Hurricane Zeta will on our area. I would also encourage all Mobilians to be aware of Zeta as it approaches the Gulf Coast. As we saw during Hurricane Sally, the strength and path of hurricanes can change quickly. I urge you to prepare now while it is still safe to do so.
Yesterday I talked about some of the progress our law enforcement officers have made in identifying and apprehending drug dealers who peddle poison in our community. However, another important component of combating the opioid crisis is understanding what it costs our community.
This afternoon, I hosted a press event alongside parents who've lost a child to opioid addiction. Parents like Kimberly Wright, Marsha and David Grayson, Becky and Mike Bailey; and Anne and Kelly Grady know all too well what addiction can cost a family. They also know what we would do well to remember: addiction is a disease that can affect any of us. I want to thank these parents for having the courage to share their experiences in hopes of helping other families going through similar struggles.
In reflecting back over the day, it reminds me of 1 of the 22 suggestions from a List to Live By which states that "The most satisfying work is helping others!" Let the record show it was a very satisfying day at the office. I hope yours was. As you go to sleep tonight make sure you hit the ground running tomorrow in preparation for Hurricane Zeta.
Stay safe!