St. Johns County declares local state of emergency; evacuation order for coastal residents to be given Thursday

Posted

UPDATE Oct. 6, 1 p.m: St. Johns County has opened new shelters in advance of Hurricane Matthew. Available shelters include:

 • Pacetti Bay Middle School, 245 Meadowlark Ln. (Special needs)

• Timberlin Creek Elementary School, 555 Pine Tree Ln. (Pet-friendly)

• South Woods Elementary School, (Pet-friendly)

• Mill Creek Elementary School, 3750 International Golf Pkwy.

• Pedro Menendez High School, 600 SR 206 West (AT CAPACITY)

• Osceola Elementary School, 1605 Osceola Elementary Pkwy.

• Otis Mason Elementary School, 2300 SR 207

• Bartram Trail High School, 7399 Longleaf Pine Pkwy.

While shelters provide safety throughout the storm, residents must bring supplies in order to maintain personal comfort and sustenance. St. Johns County recommends that all evacuees bring their own bedding, including sleeping bags or air mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets. A threeday supply of water, non-perishable food, medication, diapers, and other personal items are also suggested. 

UPDATE Oct. 5: St. Johns County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 6 for residents living in Evacuation Zone A and portions of Evacuation Zone B.

Evacuation Zone A and portions of B – Including residents east of the Intracoastal Waterway, including Ponte Vedra Beach, South Ponte Vedra Beach, Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Butler Beach, Crescent Beach and Summer Haven. In addition, this includes residents generally located along the St. Johns River and west of State Road 13, including the Town of Hastings.

Portions of Evacuation Zone B – Including residents who live south of the Northeast Florida Regional Airport east of US 1 to the county line.

Residents living in boats, RVs, and mobile homes throughout St. Johns County are included in the evacuation order. Residents who are able to evacuate and are not using a St. Johns County shelter should begin evacuating as soon as possible prior to the evacuation scheduled for 6 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 in order to avoid traffic congestion. For evacuation information, including route maps and evacuations zones, please visit the St. Johns County Emergency Management website at www.sjcemergencymanagement.org/evacinfo.html.

***

St. Johns County has declared a local state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, and plans to issue a resident evacuation order for coastal residents Thursday at 6 a.m.

View the county evacuation zone map at http://pontevedrarecorder.com/stories/hurricane-guide-maps-evacuation-zones-and-tracking-chart,1322?.

Resident evacuations
In response to the projected track of Hurricane Matthew, St. Johns County plans to issue an evacuation order at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 for those residents living along coastal and waterfront areas, as well as residents living in boats, RVs and mobile homes. Residents should begin evacuation preparations as soon as possible. To avoid traffic congestions, residents are encouraged to begin evacuating prior to the evacuation order. For evacuation information, including route maps and evacuations zones, please visit the St. Johns County Emergency Management website at www.sjcemergencymanagement.org/evacinfo.html.

Emergency shelters 
Shelter locations will be opened in conjunction with the official evacuation order beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 6. The following shelters will be operational at that time:
•Pacetti Bay Middle School, 245 Meadowlark Lane (Special needs)
•Timberlin Creek Elementary School, 555 Pine Tree Lane (Pet-friendly)
•Bartram Trail High School, 7399 Longleaf Pine Pkwy (General population)
•Pedro Menendez High School, 600 SR-206 West (General population)

For more information on shelters, including addresses and accommodations, please visit www.sjcemergencymanagement.org/shetinfo.html.

School closures
The St. Johns County School District has closed schools and all district offices for Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday, Oct. 7 in response to Hurricane Matthew. All athletic activities are canceled through the weekend.

County Closures
With the exception of Emergency Operations, St. Johns County will close all offices on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday, Oct. 7. County operations decisions beyond Friday will be determined based on weather conditions.

Sandbags
Sandbag locations are up and running at the standard County distribution locations. For a detailed list of times and locations, please visit www.sjcfl.us.

Beaches
St. Johns County beaches are closed to vehicular traffic due to heavy surf and high tides expected from Hurricane Matthew. St. Johns County Marine Rescue is expecting dangerous Red Flag conditions and is asking that beachgoers do not enter the water under any circumstances until storm conditions have subsided.

Resident precautions
St. Johns County is asking residents to take the following precautionary measures:
• Closely monitor local weather forecasts.
• Know your evacuation zone and evacuation route by visiting www2.gis.bocc.co.st-johns.fl.us/MYEZ/.
• Complete and review your Disaster Plan. Make sure to include pets in your plan. Visit www.sjcemergencymanagement.com/ for information on what you should include in your disaster plan.
• Begin preparing your home by securing and bringing in any loose items inside.
• Update your hurricane supply kit. For information on hurricane supply kits visit www.sjcemergencymanagement.com.
• Make sure you have a five-day supply of all medications and any other medical equipment you may need.
• Be prepared to evacuate if told to do so by trained emergency management personnel.

Up-to-date storm response information will be posted at www.sjcfl.us, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SJCFL, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/StJohnsCounty and https://twitter.com/StJohnsEOC, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/St.JohnsCounty. For more information on storm preparedness, including evacuation zones and shelters, please visit www.sjcemergencymanagement.com.