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St. Johns County updates for Hurricane Idalia: What you need to know about services, schools, beaches and more

Mandatory evacuations lifted for residents in low-lying areas

Photo from Porpoise Point neighborhood.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Emergency Management (SJCEM) lifted the mandatory evacuation order previously issued for all persons living in low-lying, flood-prone areas, or on a boat, mobile home, recreational vehicle, camper, or similar conveyance.

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SJCEM announced it will close its two storm shelters, the Solomon Calhoun Community Center and Health and Human Services Building, at 2 p.m. It is monitoring Idalia and will provide updates as they are made available.

SJCEM encourages the public to stay informed through these options:

  • Sign up for the Alert St. Johns emergency notification system at www.sjcemergencymanagement.com
  • Register for Nixle Alerts by texting StJohnsEOC to 888777
  • Monitor www.sjcfl.us/hurricane for all storm-related updates
  • Call the St. Johns County Emergency Management Citizen Information Line at 904-824-5550 with any storm-related questions.

Services

Here’s the latest info on services related to Hurricane Idalia for St. Johns County:

Government Offices

  • All St. Johns County government offices will be closed on Wednesday.
  • All City of St. Augustine government offices will remain closed on Wednesday.
  • All City of St. Augustine Beach government offices will be closed on Wednesday.

Residential Waste Collection Service

  • St. Johns County will suspend household garbage, recycling, and yard debris collection schedules on Wednesday, with normal service resuming Thursday.
  • Residents originally scheduled for Wednesday collection will have service on Saturday, Sept. 2.
  • The Tillman Ridge and Stratton Road Transfer Stations will also be closed on Wednesday.
  • The City of St. Augustine will not collect yard debris on Wednesday.
  • The City of St. Augustine will not collect residential recycling on Thursday and Friday.

Public Library System

  • All St. Johns County libraries, bookmobiles, and book drops will be closed on Wednesday.
  • Due dates will be extended and fines will not be incurred during the closure.

Parks and Beach Services

  • All St. Johns County Parks and Recreation parks and facilities will be closed on Wednesday. This includes the St. Johns Golf Club, beachfront parks, and beach walkovers.
  • Beach driving is closed to the public for the duration of the storm.
  • The St. Johns County Pier is closed. for the duration of the storm. Barricades will be in place.

Schools

  • All St. Johns County School District schools and district offices will be closed on Wednesday due to the impending storm.
  • Scheduled afterschool, athletic, and extracurricular activities will be canceled Wednesday.

St. Johns River State College’s classes will resume and all campuses and offices will reopen on Thursday, August 31, at regularly scheduled times. Any changes to this plan will be communicated through Alertus, email, text messages, social media and our website.

Council on Aging and Sunshine Bus Service

  • St. Johns County Council on Aging (COA) has announced that all Sunshine Bus and Paratransit transportation services will be closed on Wednesday. Transportation facilities and customer service will also be closed.
  • In addition, all Paratransit transportation services will be limited to life-sustaining services on Thursday.
  • For more information on the Sunshine Bus Service, please visit www.sunshinebus.net/alerts-updates or call 904-209-3716 during operating hours.
  • All COA senior centers and facilities, including River House, Sunshine Center, COA headquarters, and scheduled IMEP programs, will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
  • For more information on the COA, please visit http://www.coasjc.org/news or call 904-209-3700.

St. Augustine

City of St. Augustine administrative offices and certain operations facilities will be closed to the public Wednesday. City offices and operations facilities are expected to reopen on Thursday at 8 a.m.

Facilities closures include City Hall, Financial Services, Fleet Maintenance, Water Treatment Plant, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Archaeology Center, Solid Waste and Recycling, and the Galimore Community Center.

The swimming pool at the Galimore Community Center is currently closed until further notice.

The St. Augustine Municipal Marina will remain closed on Wednesday. Weather permitting, the marina will reopen for business on Thursday at 9 a.m.

The Historic Downtown Parking Facility will be free of charge for those living in low-lying, flood-prone areas who are seeking higher ground for their vehicles.

Vehicles should be parked in clearly marked parking spaces. Do not block driving aisles or park in unmarked areas. Residents should plan to retrieve their vehicles once the storm passes and as soon as it is safe to do so.

In anticipation of the uncertain impacts of Idalia, the City of St. Augustine will not collect yard debris on Wednesday this week and will not collect residential recycling on Thursday and Friday this week.

Residents are reminded to secure any loose containers and bins to avoid causing projectile damage that may result from high winds.

Resident questions may be directed to Todd Grant, Public Works Director, at 904-315-8499.

St. Augustine Beach

City offices will be closed on Wednesday and will resume normal operations on Thursday at 8 a.m.

There will be no pickup of yard trash/special waste on Wednesday.

Solid waste and recycling services will resume on Thursday.

Pending the impact from the storm, yard debris pick up will resume beginning on Thursday. Please make sure your yard debris/leaves are containerized. Do not leave loose piles of debris by the road for pick up.

Splash Park is closed until further notice.

Beach driving is closed for the duration of the storm.

The St. Johns County Pier is closed for the duration of the storm. Barricades will be in place.

For more information, please visit www.staugbch.com.


About the Author
Francine Frazier headshot

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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