The national weather service has advised that even though Matthew has moved away from our area, we can expect to see lingering impacts. Flooding will continue as elevated water levels are expected to remain within the St. Johns River for at least a week. Citizens are reminded to stay indoors until further advised as there are still existing conditions that are dangerous. Jacksonville remains under a State of Emergency providing us access to federal resources to meet critical needs. Governor Rick Scott has advised that he will be in Jacksonville at 10:30 a.m. to join the mayor in damage assessment efforts and refurbishment plans.
 
Mayor Lenny Curry is lifting the evacuation order for zones A, B, and C effective 12 p.m. today.
 
Citizens are reminded to “Stay Aware & Prepare” –
 
Stay Aware of information provided by the Emergency Operations team which will continue to provide updates and information.
 
Prepare for extended wait times on power outages, service calls, repairs, clean-up; returning to your homes; etc.
 
630-CITY and JaxReady are operational. Please recognize that they are experiencing high volumes slowing operations. Encourage citizens to use the JaxReady app and 630-CITY website as call waiting times may exceed an hour.
 
Effective at noon today, the following Intracoastal Waterway bridges are open:

• Atlantic Boulevard Intracoastal Waterway Bridge
• Beach Boulevard Intracoastal Waterway Bridge
• JTB Intracoastal Waterway Bridge
• Note: The Wonderwood bridge remains closed.

SHELTERS

• Five shelters are currently open.
• Additional closures will be determined based on needs and consolidation.

• CLOSED - Oceanway Elementary School (12555 Gillespie Ave. – 32218)
• Those staying in shelters must bring their own food, water and bedding.

SERVICES

JEA Updates

• JEA experienced significant electric system damage. They are still in the process of assessing the situation and this will be ongoing.
• Because of the high number of outages and the significant damage to the electric system, restoration times are unknown at this time. Customers should plan for power to be out for multiple days.
• 245,578 customers have experienced a power outage and more than 200,000 are still without power.
• Anyone who has been without water as a result of the storm should boil their water, in an abundance of caution.
• JEA has already started restoring critical sites which are hospitals, public safety, and other life support or life-sustaining institutions. Typically, these large customers are served by very large electric lines, which are the first lines to be repaired anyway.
• More than 1,426 JEA employees involved in restoration.
• So far 18 mutual aid crews have already arrived.
• Tomorrow, ten more mutual aid crews will arrive.
• By Monday, JEA will have a total of 36 mutual aid crews here from other utilities to help speed the restoration process.
• There are 100 people involved in tree removal.
• If customers would like to understand more about the restoration process, they can go to jea.com/restoration.
• JEA is assuring customers that they will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to all customers.
• If persons experience downed lines, please stay clear and call 630CITY in Duval County.
• Do not connect generators directly to home wiring. Generators can "backfeed" into the power lines attached to homes, which can increase voltage anywhere on the JEA system and seriously injure or kill a JEA lineman or your neighbor on the same line. For more information, go to https://www.jea.com/Outage_Center/Storm_Safety/Generator_Safety/
• Customers can Text REG to MyJEA (69532) to register to notify JEA of an outage. They can also go to jea.com/alerts to sign up. With this, citizens experiencing outages can text OUT to MYJEA.

JFRD Updates

• Upon the storm’s initial hit yesterday, fire and rescue were responding to a call every 60 seconds.
• During the six hours of the storm’s full engagement, they responded to a call every 30 seconds.

Public Works Updates

• The Public Works “Cut & Toss” team was deployed at 7a.m. today. They are removing trees and debris from roadways. Priority areas including known locations of downed trees and the main corridor will be addressed first. Persons can report needs for service by calling 630-CITY.
• The debris pick-up schedule has not been determined yet. Will be announced at a later time.
• Twelve stormwater crews are currently in the field assessing and working in flooded areas.
• Mosquito Control will be working to address mosquito related concerns and issues.
• Waste collections normally scheduled for Friday have been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 9.

JTA Updates

• There is no JTA bus service today.

JAX Airport Updates

• Air Canada, Allegiant, Silver & Southwest flights are cancelled today (10/8). For all other flights, passengers should contact their airline, not the airport, for flight status and rebooking before coming to the airport.
• Economy Lots 1 & 2 should be open with full shuttle service by 10:30 am today.
• Call the parking office at (904) 741.2277 for more information.

JAXPORT Updates

• Marine terminals and facilities remain closed to land side and vessel operations pending current damage assessments by JAXPORT authorized personnel and official clearance from US Coast Guard Captain of the Port for operations to resume.

 SCHOOLS

Duval County Public Schools Update

• Duval County Public Schools expects to announce shool openings Sunday afternoon.

FSCJ Update

• FSCJ is assessing campuses and will have an update after noon today.

TRAFFIC

Traffic Update (JSO)

• Citizens are encouraged to not leave their homes if not required.

Traffic Update (FDOT)

• Florida Department of Transportation’s District Two in northeast Florida has multiple engineer teams out inspecting bridges in Duval, Nassau and St. Johns Counties.   FDOT encourages patience from motorists to limit roadway usage to allow emergency crews to respond and FDOT bridge inspectors to conduct damage assessment.
• The number one priority is protection of life.
• Construction zones are being inspected.  There may be water in and around these zones.  Please be extra cautious.
• There are five convenient ways to receive traffic updates:
  • Download the free Florida 511 mobile app available on Google Play or Apple App Store.
  • Call 511 toll free for updates in English and Spanish.
  • Visit FL511.com for interactive roadway maps showing traffic congestion and crashes, travel times and traffic camera views.
  • Sign up for a “My Florida 511” account at FL511.com to create custom routes and register for email, text or phone alerts.
  • Follow one of the 13 statewide, regional or roadway-specific Twitter feeds (#FL511).
• Expect many major corridors to be flooded, including construction zones.  Use extreme caution and heed local emergency information. 

 
Avoiding Health Risks:
With residents currently dealing with flooding and widespread power outages, the Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval) is recommending precautions to help protect individuals and families from the health hazards related to flood waters. Although skin contact with flood waters does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk, health hazards are a concern when waters become contaminated. Flood waters may contain fecal material with associated bacteria and viruses.
The following precautions are recommended to prevent possible illness from flood waters:

• Basic hygiene is critical. Wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected before preparing or eating food, after using the toilet, after participating in flood cleanup activities, and after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage.
• Avoid eating or drinking anything that has been contaminated with flood waters.
• Do not wade through standing water. If you do, bathe and put on clean clothes as soon as possible.
• Avoid contact with flood waters if you have open cuts or sores. If you cannot avoid contact with flood waters, keep any cuts and sores as clean as possible by washing well with soap to control infection. If a wound develops redness, swelling, or drainage, seek immediate medical attention. Residents who sustain lacerations and/or puncture wounds and have not had a tetanus vaccination within the past 10 years require a tetanus booster.

 
If your plumbing is functioning slowly or sluggishly, you should: 

• Conserve water as much as possible; the less water used, the less sewage the septic tank must process or a sewer line needs to handle. Minimize use of your washing machine. Go to a laundromat. Rental of a portable toilet for a temporary period may be another option.
• Do not have the septic tank pumped. Exceptionally high water tables might crush a septic tank that was pumped dry. If the fundamental problem is high ground water, pumping the tank does nothing to solve that problem.
• If you cannot use your plumbing without creating a sanitary nuisance (i.e. without sewage being exposed), consider moving to a new location until conditions improve.
• Do not have the septic tank and drain field repaired until the ground has dried. Often systems are completely functional when dry conditions return. Any repair must be permitted and inspected by your county health department.

 
Carbon Monoxide
Due to electric utility outages, some citizens may turn to gas-powered appliances and charcoal or gas grills for power. However, these devices can increase the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas and is highly poisonous. Depending on the level of exposure, CO may cause fatigue, weakness, chest pains for those with heart disease, shortness of breath upon exertion, nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, lack of coordination, impaired vision, loss of consciousness, and in severe cases, death.
 DOH-Duval recommends the following precautions to help citizens prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Do not burn charcoal or gas grills inside a house, garage, vehicle, tent or fireplace.
• NEVER use a generator indoors, including in homes, garages, basements, crawl spaces, and other enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even with ventilation. Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent CO build-up in the home.
• ALWAYS locate the unit outdoors on a dry surface, away from doors, windows, vents, and air conditioning equipment that could allow CO to come indoors. Follow the instructions that come with your generator.
• Install battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in CO alarms with battery back-up in your home, according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The CO alarms should be certified to the requirements of the latest safety standards for CO alarms (UL 2034, IAS 6-96, or CSA 6.19.01).
• Test your CO alarms frequently and replace dead batteries.
• REMEMBER: you cannot see or smell CO and portable generators can produce high levels of CO very quickly.
• If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY. DO NOT DELAY.
• If you have a poisoning emergency, call your nearest Florida Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 immediately.

For more information, please contact DOH-Duval or visit The Florida Department of Health or The Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Rumor Control:

• The Main street, Acosta, Fuller Warren, Mathews, Hart NEVER closed. The Dames Point closed and reopened at 2am. 
• There are no sheltered animals in any evacuation zones. The Jacksonville Beach Animal Shelter evacuated to the City of Jacksonville’s shelter. The Jacksonville shelter has more than enough capacity to accommodate the animals. It is a state-of-the-art facility. All cages are indoors and animals are protected. The Jacksonville Humane Society has emptied their facility and sent all animals to foster care. CITIZENS SHOULD NOT DROP THEIR ANIMALS OFF AT ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES. Animal shelters are not housing for personal pets.
• There are no reports of looting in the Jacksonville Beach area. Police are continuing to patrol and monitor the area.
• Jacksonville University is NOT mandating any evacuations from campus as JU residence halls are not currently in an evacuation zone.
• 630-CITY and JaxReady are operational. Please recognize that they are experiencing high volumes slowing operations. Encourage citizens to use the JaxReady app and 630-CITY website as call waiting times may exceed an hour.

Other Updates:

• 630-CITY (2489) remains open for any non-life threatening issue reports or information requests. Also for reports of downed power lines.
• City offices and facilities remain closed.
• USPS mail will not be delivered on Saturday.

 
Updates will be provided regularly via the City’s website and social media accounts.