ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A Flash Flood Warning was issued Wednesday morning in St. Johns County.
The warning for St. Johns, issued hours before powerful Hurricane Milton was expected to hit the state as a Category 3, was set to expire at 4 p.m.
The warning comes as businesses in downtown St. Augustine already started to see rain. There were reports of more than 3 inches of rain in western St. Johns County since midnight and flooding along Alvin Street in Hastings.
News4JAX saw businesses in downtown St. Augustine prepared with sandbags and other protective measures on Wednesday morning ahead of Milton.
MORE|Mandatory evacuations begin in St. Johns County ahead of Hurricane Milton
St. Johns County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for all residents and visitors in Evacuation Zones A, B, and part of F, effective 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
— St. Johns Co EOC (@StJohnsEOC) October 9, 2024
For info, visit https://t.co/MvGDtSSIa5 or call the Citizen Information Hotline at 904-824-5550.#MYSJCFL pic.twitter.com/v5QhzIMHPO
Evacuations for some residents and visitors in St. Johns County are underway after officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for Evacuation Zone A (along coastal and river areas), Zone B, and Zone F (South of State Road 206) on Wednesday due to the imminent threat posed by the storm.
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.
In 2022 during Tropical Storm Ian, water breached the sea wall near downtown St. Augustine and water rushed into the historic city.