St. Johns County issues mandatory evacuations for zones A, B and F ahead of Hurricane Milton

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for all residents and visitors in Evacuation Zone A (along coastal and river areas), Zone B, and Zone F (South of State Road 206) effective at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, due to the imminent threat posed by Hurricane Milton. This includes the entire City of St. Augustine, the City of St. Augustine Beach, and residents living on waterfront properties or in flood-prone areas.

Residents living in boats, RVs, mobile homes, and low-lying flood-prone areas are also required to evacuate.

St. Johns County Emergency Management Director Joe Giammanco said Hurricane Milton is expected to have major impacts in St. Johns County as the area is under an hurricane warning, storm surge warning and a flood watch. St. Johns County is expected to receive eight to ten inches of rainfall.

“There are roads that will potentially be impassible,” St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews said. “If you need to make transportation plans, now is the time. Make sure you have food and medication so you can take safety measures for yourself and family.”

Related: Find Your St. Johns County Evacuation Zone | St. Johns County prepares ahead of what will become Hurricane Helene; county offers free sandbags

On Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8 a.m., three shelters will open as evacuations begin:

• Special medical needs shelter at Freedom Crossing Academy: 1365 Shetland Dr, St Johns, FL 32259
• Pet-friendly shelter at South Woods Elementary: 4750 FL-206, Elkton, FL 32033
• General population: Pedro Menendez High School: 600, 580 FL-206 West, St. Augustine, FL 32086

“We don’t know what it’s (Hurricane Milton) going to bring on Thursday and what we’re going to see... for people that are staying, again, following mandatory evacuation orders, we do want people to be in harm’s way. We don’t want to put our first responders in harm responders in harm’s way, but if you decide to stay, if you have a medical emergency or something else that’s affecting you during the storm, as St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews said, there’s going to be times that it might be impassable for us to get to you. So, you need to understand that. But if you are, you need to prepare by again, having some water food things that are not perishable that you can sustain yourself at your house.”

St. Johns County Evacuation Zones: A, B, C, D, E or F:

• Zone A – Most low-lying areas along the coast
• Zones B, C, D, and E – Progress inland as you get further away from the coast and higher in elevation
• Zone F – An area along the St. Johns River that is vulnerable to flooding

Sandbags are expected to be complete by 3 p.m. Tuesday. Officials said Helene debris cleanup is also expected to end on Tuesday.

Residents were encouraged not to drive through flooded streets and stay off the roads. They recommend everyone complete preparations Tuesday night.

The St. Johns County Emergency Management Citizen Information Hotline (904-824-5550) is now open to help answer the public’s questions about Milton.

News4JAX will also be opening a News4JAX Help Center phone bank on Oct. 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.