CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – As Idalia heads toward Florida, Clay County Emergency Management officials are anticipating storm effects in the county on Wednesday
Local effects will be upwards of 4-6 inches of rain, tropical storm winds, and hurricane gusts.
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The county warns residents to expect downed trees and powerlines, as well as power outages.
This is expected to be a fast-paced storm.
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There are no zone evacuations at this time, but residents who live in mobile homes and manufactured homes are strongly encouraged to find other shelter. To find your evacuation zone, please visit the Evacuation and Flood Zones webpage.
Schools, shelters
Based on current projections and the potential impact on the area, Clay County District Schools will be CLOSED on Wednesday.
School staff will monitor the storm to determine if schools and district offices can reopen on Thursday, and they will keep the community updated via social media platforms and the www.OneClay.net website.
The school district is operating three emergency shelters for residents.
Locations:
- Lake Asbury Junior High, special needs shelter, 2851 Sandridge Rd, Green Cove Springs
- Keystone Heights High School, general population and pet-friendly shelter, 900 S.W. Orchid Avenue, Keystone Heights
- Orange Park High School, general population and pet-friendly shelter, 2300 Kingsley Ave, Orange Park
- Wilkinson Elementary, general population, 4965 Co Rd 218, Middleburg
Closures
All county government offices will be closed until further notice.
The Clerk’s Office will be closed through Thursday, including the courthouse. The branch offices will be closed Wednesday, with Thursday closures to be determined.
Check clayclerk.com for updates on rescheduling court dates and appointments. Expect garbage pickup as usual on Tuesday.
For more information on Clay County emergency management, go to the Clay County emergency management website.
Power outages
All Clay Electric district offices will be closed to the public Wednesday through Friday to allow personnel to concentrate on restoring services post-Hurricane Idalia, which poses a serious threat to the cooperative’s 14-county service area.
Additionally, Clay Electric has suspended all member disconnections for non-payment beginning Tuesday through Monday.
Based on the storm’s projected path, the potential for serious damage to Clay Electric’s power distribution system and service area remains high. While the system was built to endure hurricane-force winds, outages will occur due to debris from trees and tree limbs.
Due to the magnitude of the storm, members should prepare for the possibility of being without power for an extended period. To restore power, Clay Electric personnel will be aided by other co-ops and work diligently to commence restoration efforts as soon as the situation is deemed safe.
“Idalia is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane before making landfall along the Gulf Coast,” said Chief Public Relations Officer Derick Thomas. “The cooperative is prepared for widespread outages, and our lineworkers are mobilized to restore power as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- If you or a family member depend on power for medical reasons, have somewhere to go that is out of harm’s way, or have a generator handy.
- If you use a generator, know how to operate it safely, and do not hook it up to your home’s wiring system. It could backfeed into our distribution system and kill or injure personnel making repairs.
- When venturing outdoors after the storm, be careful of low-hanging or downed power lines, which may still be energized.
- To report an outage, members are encouraged to report outages via MyClayElectric or by calling 888-434-9844. Note: This line may be busy due to the large volume of calls expected.
Information and updates will be shared on Facebook and ClayElectric.com throughout the restoration process. Clay Electric’s outage map can be accessed by following this link.