Update From Morning Conference Call and Evacuations

9/7/17 @ 1:45 p.m. - This morning's conference call with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the National Hurricane Center indicated that the storm is currently located 100 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island and remains very strong with 175 mph winds. Early projections show the eye of the storm at around 40 miles east of the coast of Florida. Emergency personal have stressed the importance of not letting your guard down. Even if the eye of the storm stays east, a large portion of the state will experience high winds and storm surge. It's important to remember that these are just early projections and the storm could shift west again and unfortunately, all we can do is wait and see where it goes. It's also important to note that the eye of Hurricane Matthew was 51 miles of east of Florida and caused millions of dollars in damage around the State. The eye of Hurricane Irma will be closer to the coast and will have 2x as strong wind power.

Governor Scott has indicated that they are looking at congestion issues along the interstates and trying to determine ways to help with traffic flow. He has also arranged for police escorts for fuel trucks to assist them with getting fuel to distributors quickly in order to keep gas shortages at a minimum. Additionally, he has 4,000 members of the National Guard and 600 volunteers on stand-by ready to assist individual counties where needed during and after the storm.

Nassau County will begin evacuations at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 8th for individuals residing in Zones A, C and F, as well as to individuals residing in manufactured homes (regardless of which zone you are located in). Attached is a step-by-step guide to helping you determine which evacuation zone you are located in. You call also contact the Emergency Operations Center at (904) 548-0900 if you need determining which zone you are in. Please keep in mind that counties further south are evacuating and this will cause delays. If you are able to leave earlier, then you are encouraged to do so.

As a reminder, below are some steps you should take to prepare for evacuation:

• Gather important documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, pet immunization records, photos, etc.)
• Prepare a list of important numbers including County Offices, local hospitals, utility companies, your property insurance agent, and local safety personnel
• Refill medications
• Purchase supplies for during and after the storm (see link for basic supply kit recommendations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Prepare your Family Emergency Plan (see link for NOAA recommendation)  
• Determine location to evacuate. If not staying with friends or family, make hotel reservations. They can always be cancelled if not needed!
• Fill up cars with gasoline
• Secure items outside the home such as garbage cans, lawn furniture, plants, etc.
• Secure home by boarding windows, securing garage door with duct tape and placing sandbags in front of doors to help prevent water flowing in

Sandbags are available from 7am-10pm at the following locations until further notice:

• Road & Bridge Bailey Yard (located on Bailey Rd next to sports complex)
• Yulee Ballpark on Goodbread Road
• Callahan County Building on Mickler Street
• Road & Bridge Hilliard Yard (located on Pea Farm Road in Hilliard)

Note: Bailey Rd, Yulee Ballpark and Callahan County Building will have individuals there to help you fill bags. The Hilliard location does not.

The County is unable to tell you at this time when residents will be allowed to return home. Once the storm passes, Emergency personnel have to check roads for debris and downed power lines. Additionally, all bridges have to be inspected to ensure they are passable. Please do not plan to return home until you are given approval to do so.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office