Hurricane Preparedness Ahead of Peak Hurricane Season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to Nov. 30) is underway, and St. Johns County Emergency Management (SJCEM) is encouraging the public to be proactive in preparing for potential storms. The St. Johns County Office of Public Affairs produced a 2024 Hurricane Preparedness video in coordination with SJCEM to aid the public.
The 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide and other preparedness materials are available to the public at www.sjcemergencymanagement.com. Printed copies of the guide are available for free at St. Johns County Public Library System branches.
St. Johns County also encourages its residents to take advantage of Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays. The next Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday runs from Saturday, Aug. 24, to Friday, Sept. 6. Many vital supplies (such as batteries, generators, soaps, trash bags, and more) are tax-free during these time periods. For a full list of tax-free items, visit www.floridarevenue.com/disasterprep. For a complete disaster supply kit checklist, visit www.floridadisaster.org/kit.
In an effort to prepare residents for hurricane season before storms arrive, St. Johns County will be giving away 12,000 pre-made sandbags on Wednesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at six locations throughout the County. The locations are listed below.
- Mills Field
- 1805 Racetrack Road, St. Johns
- Palm Valley Bridge
- Under the bridge on the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway
- North Beach Park
- 3721 Coastal Highway, Vilano Beach
- Solomon Calhoun Community Center
- 1300 Duval St., St. Augustine
- St. Johns County Equestrian Center
- 8200 Smith Road, Hastings
- Windswept Acres Park
- 5335 SR A1A S., St. Augustine
As the Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing, it’s crucial for residents to have a plan and be ready in the event St. Johns County is impacted.
“The most important thing you can do today is find out if you’re in an evacuation zone,” SJCEM Deputy Director Kelly Wilson said. “You can go to our website, www.sjcemergencymanagement.com. You’ll see a tool called ‘My Evacuation Zone.’ Enter your St. Johns County address and it will identify what Evacuation Zone, if any, you are in. Evacuation Zones are identified as zones A through F. If you’re in an evacuation zone, you will want to listen in case your zone is named when a storm is approaching. Today is the day to find out if you live in a zone, and if you do, make a plan now so that you are prepared when a storm is approaching.”
SJCEM encourages residents to sign up for the Alert St. Johns emergency notification system at www.sjcemergencymanagement.com. This system enables SJCEM to quickly provide the public with critical information in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, water advisories, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods, and incidents that may threaten public safety. Residents will receive time-sensitive messages by the method of their choice, such as home, mobile, or business phones, email addresses, text messages, and more.
In addition to Alert St. Johns, SJCEM uses Nixle Alerts to provide another way for the public to stay updated with relevant information from the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center. Any individual can text StJohnsEOC to 888777 to opt-in to receive notifications through SMS text messages. Nixle does not charge for this service, but carrier message and data rates may apply. SJCEM will use this service to alert residents of public safety advisories, natural and human-caused disasters, and other significant events that may impact the community.
St. Johns County Animal Control encourages the public to include pets in storm preparation plans. Residents should not leave pets behind if ordered to evacuate.
The public is advised to include the following in all pet storm preparation kits:
- Food and water
- Medication
- Vaccination records
- Collars with identification
- Leashes and carriers
Additionally, the St. Johns County Pet Center, located at 130 N. Stratton Road, St. Augustine, offers microchipping services for $10 per pet. Microchips can assist in identifying and returning a lost pet to its owner. Call the St. Johns County Pet Center at 904-209-6190 to make an appointment. The County also encourages residents to regularly take pictures with their pets, as these pictures can be helpful in reuniting a lost pet with its owner. For more pet preparedness tips, visit www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/pets.
For the most local, accurate, and timely information, follow St. Johns County Emergency Management on Facebook and X. Ensure you don’t miss any Facebook posts by selecting Emergency Management as one of your ‘Favorites’ in the Facebook follow options.