Update at 11:00 a.m. - The utility company is making the necessary repairs. Traffic is still backed up. Please be patient and drive safely. The evacuation of Lowes has been lifted.

4/18/18 @ 10:00 a.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management has just reported that there is a natural gas leak at the construction site near Lowes. Traffic on State Road 200 from both directions is being re-routed and the Lowes parking lot is being evacuated. Please avoid the area if possible until further notice.

If you have any questions, contact Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

4/3/18 @ 11:00 a.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management will be hosting a Hurricane Awareness Course on July 7, 2018 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center located at 77150 Citizens Circle in Yulee. The course is designed to increase your understanding on hurricane forecasting and preparedness. Citizens who work in the following fields are recommended to take this course:

• Citizen/Community Volunteer
• Emergency Management
• Emergency Medical Services
• Fire Service
• Government Administration
  
• Healthcare
• Hazardous Materials
• Law Enforcement
• Public Safety Communications
• Private Sector/Corporate Security
• Safety Professionals
• Public Works

Below are eligible Continuing Education opportunities:

• American Planning Association (APA), AICP Members: CM 3.5
• Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), CFM: 3.5 CEC
• International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), CEM/AEM: 4 E/G
• International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) 0.3 CE

Seating is limited to 50 participants so please register as soon as possible to secure your spot.

Attached is an event flyer with additional information. If you have any questions, please contact Sidney Beckom at (904) 548-0900 or via email at sdbeckom@nassauso.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/14/18 @ 4:50 p.m. - The evacuation order for Courtney Isles has now been lifted. The Division of Forestry and Nassau County Fire Rescue are working to contain the fire. It was initially about 8 acres (scattered). The cause was a spark from a passing train. The only structure damage was to a shed on Pages Dairy next to the tracks.

Chester Road and Pages Dairy is still closed at this time while crews work to contain the rest of the fire.

If you have questions, please note you can call Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900. If you haven't already, you should also sign up for EverBridge notification alerts so you can receive current news via phone call, text, or email.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/14/18 @ 4:15 p.m. - A large brush fire has been reported in the area of Chester Rd and Pages Dairy Rd. Residents at the apartments at Courtney Isles Way have been issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION order as of 3:42PM.

​More to follow.

2/12/18 @ 10:35 a.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management asked us to share the below Press Release from Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT) and FEMA regarding an opportunity to obtain up to $30,000 to apply for Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) funds for repairs or rebuilding of structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas.

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News Release:

Flood Insurance Policyholders May Get Extra Money to Upgrade Structures
Request Funds within 60 Days of Receiving Substantial Damage Notice from Community
                              
ORLANDO, Fla. — National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in Florida with damaged property may request additional money to reduce risks from hurricanes and other disasters.
 
Policyholders in Special Flood Hazard Areas who are repairing or rebuilding may receive extra funds—Increased Cost of Compliance—to upgrade a structure so it complies with local building regulations. SFHAs are high-risk flood areas according to NFIP.
 
ICC measures include elevating, demolishing, floodproofing or relocating a structure so it has enhanced resiliency to withstand storms and floods.
 
Insurance companies must receive a signed ICC Proof of Loss form within 60 days after a local official notifies a policyholder their structure is substantially damaged. This means the cost to restore a structure equals or exceeds 50 percent of its pre-damage market value.
 
Policyholders should also provide a contractor’s estimate for the proposed ICC measures and copies of local construction permits. Insurance companies need these to consider an ICC claim.
                                                                                                      
NFIP policies may provide up to $30,000 to apply ICC measures required to comply with local regulations. The amount supplements repair or rebuilding costs.
 
Home and business owners have six years from the date of loss to complete the required and approved ICC measures.
 
Policyholders may contact their local emergency management office for more information. They may find contact information online at www.FloridaDisaster.org/counties.
 
Other Sources of Financial Help
 
The U.S. Small Business Administration may be another source of funds to make a home or business safer and stronger.
 
Home and business owners who have an approved loan application may be eligible for additional funds to pay for structural enhancements. The funds would be in addition to the amount of the approved loan to repair or rebuild.
 
For more information, they may call the SBA at 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339. They may also go online to sba.gov/disaster.
 
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
 
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
 
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
 
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If you have any questions, please contact Nassau County Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

2-2-18 @ 4:10 p.m. - The Florida Department of Emergency Management has created a survey in an attempt to learn more about how Floridians responded to the Hurricane Irma evacuation. This survey was developed in partnership with local, state and federal officials. The answers provided in this survey may provide useful information for future state and local evacuation planning and modeling. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete.

To participate in the survey, please click here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

1/9/18 @ 11:10 a.m. - A portion of State Road 200 near US 17 was temporarily closed this morning due to a military ordnance being uncovered by a construction crew. Crews were able to remove this item without incident and the road has been re-opened. It has not yet been confirmed exactly what this item was, however the King's Bay Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team safety took the item away.

Great job to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, Nassau County Fire/Rescue's SHOT Team, and Kings Bay's EOD Team for their quick response and for ensuring that our citizens were kept safe!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

1/2/18 @ 9:30 a.m. - The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for portions of southwest Georgia and eastern Florida, including Nassau County. This means that there is a potential for significant ice accumulations and snow in the areas under watch, although these conditions can vary from place to place.

The National Weather Service is currently anticipating frozen precipitation from late tonight through Wednesday afternoon, as well as an ongoing cold spell that will persist through Saturday. Motorists are reminded to take extreme precautions when traveling due to ice on the roads, particularly on and near bridges.

Residents should also prepare homes for the cold temperatures by wrapping pipes, draining water sprinkler supplies, opening cabinets under sinks, and covering vents around your home's foundation. Don't forget to bring in pets, cover plants, and to let indoor faucets drip before going to bed.

Stay tuned in to local news channels for continuous weather updates.

If you have any questions, please contact Nassau County Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

11/9/17 @ 3:00 p.m. - Debris removal on County maintained roads located within the unincorporated areas of Nassau County began on Monday, September 18, 2017. To date, 148,166 cubic yards of debris has been removed from the County rights-of-way. The contractor, Crowder Gulf, currently has 25 vegetative haul trucks in operation, a majority of which are working west of Amelia Island including the Yulee and Callahan areas. They have not yet reached the Hilliard or Bryceville areas.
 
Attached is a list showing roads where the contractor has removed debris. Please note that none of the roads, other than those listed as Zone 10 (unincorporated Amelia Island), have been declared clear for a first sweep. Zone 10 was reported as clear for the first sweep the week of October 30th.
 
A second sweep of vegetative debris will begin in Zone 10 on Wednesday, November 15th. PLEASE BE SURE THAT ALL REMAINING VEGETATIVE DEBRIS ON COUNTY MAINTAINED ROADS ON AMELIA ISLAND IS IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY BY NOVEMBER 15TH. ANY VEGETATIVE DEBRIS PLACED IN THE COUNTY RIGHT-OF-WAY AFTER THEY BEGIN THE SECOND SWEEP WILL NOT BE PICKED UP. All areas outside of Zone 10 will be scheduled for a second sweep after the first sweep has been completed. Announcements for second sweeps in all other zones will be made at a later date.
 
The contractor has also placed 4 cut trucks in operation to clear “leaners and hangers” which are standing trees or hanging limbs in danger of falling. These trees and limbs must meet certain criteria issued by FEMA in order to be cleared. The debris from these trees and limbs are being placed in the right-of-way and will be removed by the contractor during the second sweep of those areas.  
 
As a reminder, two drop off sites have been established for citizens who wish to deliver their debris in lieu of waiting for a contractor, or for those residing on private roads. Both sites will accept vegetative debris free of charge with proof of residency. Neither bagged debris nor construction debris will be accepted at the sites. Contractors are NOT authorized to use these sites:

• Bailey Road Maintenance Yard located at 3163 Bailey Rd in Fernandina Beach. Open seven days per week from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Hilliard Maintenance Yard located at 37356 Pea Farm Road in Hilliard. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

 
The contractor has NOT begun picking up construction debris in any zone as they are focusing on the widespread vegetative debris at this time. We will make announcements as soon as we are notified of when they will begin picking up the construction debris.
 
Lastly, the Debris Monitoring Company, Witt O’Brien, has established a debris monitoring hotline for citizen complaints and concerns. You may contact them directly at (904) 451-7609 or via e-mail at Nassau@wittobriens.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

11/2/17 @ 4:30 p.m. - Debris removal on County maintained roads located within the unincorporated areas of Nassau County began on Monday, September 18, 2017. To date, 122,094 cubic yards of vegetative debris has been removed. As of Monday, October 30th, the first sweep of Zone 10 (Amelia Island) has been reported as complete. The contractor, Crowder Gulf, currently has 24 haul trucks in operation working west of Amelia Island, including Yulee and Callahan. Attached is a list showing roads where the contractor has removed debris. Please note that only the roads in Zone 10 are reported as being completed for the first sweep. All other zones are still in progress therefore roads appearing in other zones are not marked as clear for the first sweep.

Due to the widespread amount of debris, the contractor has not been able to provide a set schedule. Single piles of debris can take several trips therefore it is hard for them to determine how long a particular Zone will take and when they can move on to the next Zone. The contractor is working 7 days per week from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. in an effort to move quickly. However the attached list will provide you an idea of where the trucks have been working and should help you determine if they are close to your area.

The contractor has also placed 4 cut trucks in operation to clear "leaners and hangers" which are  standing trees or hanging limbs in danger of falling. These trees and limbs must meet certain criteria issued by FEMA in order to be cleared. The debris from these trees and limbs are being placed in the right-of-ways and will be removed by the contractor by a separate haul truck.

Below are some friendly reminders regarding the debris removal process:

• The contractor will only be picking up yard debris (tree limbs, logs, leaves, etc.) and construction debris (fencing, shingles, drywall, etc.) from County maintained roads. Items should be separated into two piles and placed in the right-of-way. Failure to separate will prevent the contractor from picking up any debris at the site as these items are taken to different collection sites.
• Bagged debris or debris in containers will not be picked up. Furthermore, having these types of items mixed into your piles will prevent the contractor from picking up any debris at the site.
• Large limbs and logs may require additional equipment, therefore, this type of debris may be left behind on the first pass
• Appliances and household furniture will not be picked up. These items are accepted at the Nassau County Landfill located at 46026 Landfill Road in Callahan. Please call (904) 530-6700 with questions about the types of items accepted.
• If the contractor visits a particular road and determines that there isn’t enough room in the haul truck to remove it all, they may only pick up a few piles. Just because they visited your road and took some piles does not mean that they are complete. They will return to collect additional piles as soon as possible.
• Cities and Towns have their own contractor to handle debris within their limits. Individuals residing within the City of Fernandina Beach or the Towns of Hilliard of Callahan would need to contact those entities directly with questions or concerns.

As a reminder, two drop off sites have been established for citizens who wish to deliver their debris in lieu of waiting for a contractor, or for those residing on private roads. Both sites will accept vegetative debris free of charge with proof of residency. Neither bagged debris nor construction debris will be accepted at the sites. Contractors are NOT authorized to use these sites:

• Bailey Road Maintenance Yard located at 3163 Bailey Rd in Fernandina Beach. Open seven days per week from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Hilliard Maintenance Yard located at 37356 Pea Farm Road in Hilliard. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Once all roads have received a first sweep of vegetative debris, announcements will be made regarding the second sweep of vegetative debris. The contractor has not begun picking up construction debris yet as they are focusing on the widespread vegetative debris.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office