JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Among the closures and major schedule changes in preparation for Nicole, the Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade and breakfast on Friday will not take place, Mayor Lenny Curry announced Tuesday.
Nicole was upgraded to a Tropical Storm on Tuesday and its biggest threat to the Jacksonville area is intense storm surge and flooding along the coast and the St. Johns River, Curry said during a news conference Tuesday.
He said even without a direct hit from Nicole, waves at the beach could be as high as 10-15 feet and inland storm surge could be as much as 3-5 feet above ground level.
The storm is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane sometime late Wednesday into early Thursday morning south of Duval County. The Jacksonville area could feel impacts from Wednesday night into early Thursday and Friday.
Curry said he knows everyone looks forward to the Veterans Day Parade every year, but it’s being canceled, along with the breakfast on Friday, “out of an abundance of caution.”
“We cannot risk the safety of our veterans and our citizens,” Curry said.
The Jacksonville Fair also confirmed it will be closed Thursday and will reopen at 3 p.m. on Friday because of the storm.
As of Tuesday at noon, the fair had made the following updates to the daily schedule:
- Tuesday, Nov. 8: Regularly Scheduled Hours 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 9: Regularly Scheduled Hours 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 10: CLOSED
- Friday, Nov. 11: New Hours 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Curry said as of now schools will not be closing, nor will city offices or departments and there will be no shelters opening based on current information from the National Weather Service. There are also no changes to trash pickup schedules at this time.
But he also said Duval County residents should be alert for any updates from the city or local news because the situation will be fluid over the next several days.
Duval County Public Schools anticipates a decision on closing schools by 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Curry warned everyone to “stay out of the water” at the beaches as red flag and high hazard conditions remain in effect.
He asked everyone to clear their yards of debris, check storm drains for any blockages and review their emergency plans and supply kits.
“Everybody please try to limit their time on the roadway,” Sheriff Pat Ivey said. “If they can that would help.”
Anyone with questions or who needs to report delays in debris pick up can call 904-630-CITY.