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City of Jacksonville

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HURRICANE MATTHEW - Update #6

October 06, 2016
“This is a once in a 100 year type of storm” – NWS

(Note updated Storm FAQs attached.)
Updates:
  • The city of Jacksonville remains under a Hurricane Warning which means location is within 24 hours of impact.
  • There is also under a flood watch through Saturday.
  • Expected rainfall is 4 – 10 inches.
  • Hurricane force winds are expected to be 90 – 115mph.
  • Storm surges are expected to reach 3 – 12 feet.
  • The category 4 storm is expected to approach first coast Friday morning.
  • The St. Johns River will continue to oscillate after the storm passes causing continuing flooding issues.
  • Conditions are expected to deteriorate beginning midnight tonight through noon Saturday.
  • Catastrophic storm surge and destructive wind patterns are expected, posing a significant threat to life and property.
  • In preparation for Hurricane Matthew and for the safety of patients and staff, Memorial Hospital will close the Memorial Emergency Center – Atlantic and Memorial Emergency Center - Julington Creek at 7am Friday and will reopen the ERs at 7am Saturday. 
The Memorial Emergency Center – Atlantic is located at:
11850 Atlantic Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32225
 
The Memorial Emergency Center – Julington Creek is located at:
42 Doctors Village Drive
St Johns, FL 32259
  • The main ER at Memorial Hospital will remain open and fully staffed to care for emergency patients during this time.
  •  Traffic Updates (JSO)
    • Traffic on 1-10 out of town continues to offer a good route west; stop and go traffic should be expected. Those who will be headed that way, while the opportunity still exists, should consider exiting the beltway (295) on roads such as Normandy, Otis Rd., and other roads that offer access to US 301 and eventually meet up with I-75 and 1-10.
    • As weather conditions deteriorate, and daylight diminishes, windows of opportunity to evacuate safely lessen. Citizens are encouraged to leave now before dark, especially those in evacuation zones A, B, and C.
  • Traffic Updates (FDOT)
    • Tides are already impacting local roadways near Atlantic Blvd, Hendricks Ave. and U.S. 1 intersections under I-95 (I-95 Overland Bridge Project). Ponding will continue with the higher tide.  Current low tides are at the normal high tide level and will continue to worsen with the hurricane’s approach.
    • Construction zones on the state roads and Interstates are secured the best they can be.  Construction barrels currently in place will not be removed.  They have been anchored as much as possible.
    • FDOT Regional Transportation Management Center in Jacksonville is monitoring major roadways and provides updated information to law enforcement and emergency management.  FDOT encourages motorists to use FL511 for the latest incident details on and around Interstates.
    • 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. 
  • A new shelter has been added increasing total to-date to six. The Legends Center is at capacity. Shelters with space still available include:
    • Chimney Lakes Elementary School (9353 Staples Mill Dr. – 32244; General population, pet friendly)
    • Atlantic Coast High School (9735 R. G. Skinner Parkway – 32256; Special needs, general population, pet friendly)
    • Twin Lakes Elementary School (8000 Point Meadows Dr. – 32256; Special needs, general population)
    • Landmark Middle School (101 Kernan Blvd. N. – 32225; Special needs, general population, pet friendly)
    • Mandarin Middle School (5100 Hood Rd. –  32257; Special needs, general population, pet friendly)
  • Those staying in shelters must bring their own food, water and bedding.
  • JTA Updates
    • JTA is suspending bus fares for the remainder of the service day.  Please catch a bus if you need to evacuate. No JTA bus service tomorrow.
  •  Public Works has addressed 30 stormwater related issues, 7 tree issues and 15 malfunctioning traffic signals. Citizens are reminded to treat malfunctioning traffic lights as 4-way stops.
  • Visit Jacksonville Update
    • People are encouraged go to VISIT FLORIDA’s site to get hotel availability. People can also use TripAdvisor, Expedia and other hotel booking engines to find hotel rooms.
  • JEA Updates
    • In anticipation of Hurricane Matthew, evacuation has been ordered for people living in the beaches communities and evacuation of zones A, B and C. Water and sewer outages will begin to occur after 8 p.m. on October 6 east of the Intercostal. Water utility services will not be reinstated until staff is able to inspect systems, inspect any damage, make any necessary repairs, and provide a safe and healthy water supply to customers. Once services are reinstated, a boil water notice will remain in effect until the water supply is deemed safe.
    • 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/
  • USPS mail will not be delivered on Friday and Saturday.
  • Due to the deteriorating weather forecast relating to Hurricane Matthew, the NAS Jax Commanding Officer (CO) has ordered the closure of NAS Jacksonville to non-essential personnel today, Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. Only essential personnel will have access to the base.
  • President Barack Obama has declared a pre-landfall emergency.
  • JAX Airport update:
    • JAX airport remains open, but numerous cancellations are expected.
    • Passengers should contact their airline – NOT the airport – for the most updated status of their flight before coming to the airport.
    • Economy Lots 1 and 2 close after the last flight arrives tonight, and will remain closed until further notice. Other parking facilities will remain open until they reach capacity. Call the parking office at (904) 741.2277 for more information.
  • Rumor Control:
    • 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.
  • The Hurricane Warning remains in effect for Jacksonville.
  • Duval County remains in a State of Emergency.
  • According to National Weather Service, conditions will deteriorate Thursday evening with impact of storm being felt through Friday evening into Saturday morning.
  • Storm is anticipated to be a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds on Jacksonville coast between 90 – 110 mph.
  • Inland waterways including St. Johns River and creeks are expected to have sustained winds between 70 – 90 mph. Storm surge on the St. Johns will be between 6 – 10 feet. Standing water as high as 6 feet is expected to persist for days following the storm.
  • The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is continuing their 24-hour staffing levels implemented to track and monitor storm conditions and their impact on Jacksonville.
  • City resources and teams, including the Emergency Road Access Teams (ERAT) and Public Works are continuing to address various needs throughout the community.
  • There are no road closures at this time, however 1-10 is open but traffic flow is heavy.
  • As conditions deteriorate and become more difficult, road travel will be dangerous. Road closures will begin to occur. Make plans to be at your safe place by midnight, Thursday.
  • Citizens are encouraged to call 630-CITY (2489) for any issue reports or information requests.
  • City offices and facilities are closed today to non-essential personnel.
  • Duval County public schools and postsecondary institutions UNF, EWC, FSCJ, and JU have cancelled today’s classes.
  • JTA is operating on a normal schedule today.
  • Please recognize that the COJ.net website and JaxReady app are experiencing high volume. They are active, however are currently slow.
  • Citizens can check if their home is an evacuation zone at http://www.coj.net/departments/fire-and-rescue/emergency-preparedness/get-prepared/evacuation-zones.aspx, http://maps.coj.net/DuvalProperty/# or on the JaxReady mobile app.
  •  Zone C has been added to the evacuation orders enacted by Mayor Lenny Curry. Zones A and B were evacuated yesterday. Citizens can check if their home is an evacuation zone at http://www.coj.net/departments/fire-and-rescue/emergency-preparedness/get-prepared/evacuation-zones.aspx, http://maps.coj.net/DuvalProperty/# or on the JaxReady mobile app.
  • Population for evacuation zones are as follows:
    • Zone A – 192,000
    • Zone B – 72,000
    • Zone C – 192,000
  • Updates from JEA:
    • JEA’s Downtown Business Office will be closed tomorrow.
    • JEA employees are now focusing only on storm preparation and restoration.
    • As of today, JEA will not disconnect service for non-pay or connect new service through the storm.
    • 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.
    • JEA expects widespread outages and customers should be prepared for multiple days without services.
 
Updates will be provided regularly via the City’s website and social media accounts.