Here's a laundry list of Hurricane Information you may need... Stay safe!
Florida SERT @FLSERT (The FL Division of Emergency Management)
Text FLPrepares to 888777 to have alerts sent straight to your phone.
Weather Tracking Websites: Weather underground, Weather app, Jaxready,
Find Gas stations with fuel: Gasbuddy app or tracker.gasbuddy.com
Turn your phone into a walkie talkie: Zello App
Ventusky - Wind, Rain and Temperature Maps: Ventusky.com
State Emergency Operations Center/ Contact Information:
The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to level one, which is a full-scale, 24-hours-a-day activation.
The Florida Emergency Information Line has been activated and is available 24/7 for families and victors at 1-800-342-3557.
The media line is 850-921-0217.
Follow @FLSert or @FLGovScott on Twitter for live updates on Hurricane Irma.
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on shelters, road closures, and evacuation routes.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Comcast has opened more than 137,000 free Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout the state for individuals in need, including non-Xfinity customers, to help residents and emergency personnel stay connected if Hurricane Irma makes anticipated landfall in Florida. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks and businesses, please visit Xfinity.com/wifi.
VETERAN SERVICES
Veterans from storm-impacted areas who require immediate assistance may contact: VA Health Resource Center Disaster Hotline: 1-800-507-4571.
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS
Volunteer Florida is coordinating with volunteer organizations across the state and has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide shelter operations training to volunteers and AmeriCorps grantees. To volunteer, go to volunteerflorida.org or call 1-800-FL-Help-1.
TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC WORKS
Governor Scott directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to suspend tolls across the entire State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma. Tolls will be suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida.
Real-time traffic information and evacuation routes is available at www.FL511.com
FDOT is coordinating with Google’s emergency response team to prepare to ‘close’ roads in Google Maps in real time in the event that Hurricane Irma forces the closure of any roads in the aftermath of the storm. Google Maps are used for Uber and Waze among other directional pplications.
The state is monitoring conditions at all airports and seaports. As of now, there are no closed airports or seaports.
EVACUATIONS AND SHELTERS
Shelters are opening in coastal counties throughout the day, including shelters for people with special needs, pets and general populations. DOH is coordinating the set up and staffing for special needs shelters. A list of all open shelters will be available at floridadisaster.org/shelters.
The state is working with the American Red Cross to identify shelter capacity both during and following the storm.
Shut the Doors on Hurricane Irma: close all interior doors, in addition to all windows and exterior doors. High winds, such as those currently expected from Hurricane Irma, place homes under intense pressure. Wind entering the home through an open or broken window, can create strong upward pressure on the roof. Closing interior doors helps compartmentalize the pressure inside the home into smaller areas reducing the overall force on the roof structure, which gives the roof a better chance of staying intact.
iHeartRADIO App
If power goes out, people can still get their local iHeart station on their cell phone with our app. Download the app now for FREE.
K-12 SCHOOLS
Duval County Schools:
Duval County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11. There will also be an early dismissal on Thursday. School offices, after-school activities, and extended day care will also be closed those days.
The Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine has announced all Diocesan schools will be closed Friday 9/8 and Monday 9/11.
The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida's Child Development Center at 318 N. Ocean St. will be closed on Friday, September 8, and Monday, September 11. The center will remain closed for all dates that Duval County schools are closed.
The Jericho School for Children with Autism will be closed on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
The Beaches Episcopal School is closed Friday and Monday.
Clay County Schools:
All Clay schools and district offices will be closed Friday, September 8, and Monday, September 11.
College and Career Night at Clay High School scheduled for Thursday, September 7 has been canceled.
Nassau County Schools:
All public schools and district offices in the district will be closed Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
The Yulee High School and West Nassau High School varsity football games will be played Thursday night at 7:00 PM.
St. Johns County Schools:
All schools will be closed Friday, September 8, and Monday, September 11.
Baker County Schools:
Baker County Public Schools are closed Friday and Monday.
Jacksonville Country Day School:
Jacksonville Country Day School will be closed on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
The Jericho School for Children with Autism:
The Jericho School for Children with Autism will be closed on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
Beaches Episcopal School:
Beaches Episcopal School cancels all after school activities Thursday. School will be closed Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Jacksonville University will be closed Friday, September 8, through Tuesday, September 12.
FSCJ will be closed from Friday, September 8, and remain closed through the 11th. FSCJ plans to reopen Tuesday, September 12.
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind has canceled classes Thursday and Friday.
Florida Coastal School of Law will be closed Thursday, September 7, at 6:00 PM, through Monday, September 11. Weather permitting, it will reopen Tuesday, 9/12 at 8:00 AM.
Florida Polytechnic University will close the campus from Thursday, September 7, at 5 p.m. through Tuesday morning, September 12, at the earliest.
All classes, including online courses, at the University of North Florida have been canceled from Friday, September 8, through Monday, September 11.
Edward Waters College will close Friday, September 8 and reopen Wednesday, September 13.
St. Johns River State College campuses will be closed Friday and remain closed until further notice.
TRANSPORTATION
The St. Johns River Ferry is scheduled to close after normal service on Thursday, September 7th, to relocate the boat inland.
GOVERNMENT
Trash pickup will go on as planned in Jacksonville this week.
All State of Florida offices will be closed on Friday, September 8.
All City of Jacksonville offices will be closed Friday, September 8th. Monday is TBD.
Both branches of the Duval County Clerk of Courts will be closed on Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11.
The Florida Department of Corrections is canceling weekend visitation at all institutions for Saturday, September 9, and Sunday, September 10.
All Duval County Tax Collector branch locations will close at noon on Thursday, September 7th and remain closed on Friday, September 8th.
Administrative officers for St. Johns County, the City of St. Augustine, and the City of St. Augustine Beach are closed Friday.
The Nassau County Courthouse is closed Friday and Monday.
St. Johns County Courts will be closed Friday and reopen Wednesday
PARKS AND BEACHES
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is closed from Thursday, September 7, until further notice.
Fort Matanzas in St. Augstine is closed from Thursday, September 7, until further notice.
St. Johns County beaches are closed to vehicle traffic and will remain closed through the duration of Irma.
The St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing pier will close Friday through the storm.
Make sure to have these things during before a Hurricane Hits:
Flashlights & extra bulbs
Battery-operated radio
Battery-operated
lanterns
Batteries (in different sizes!)
Matches First aid kit
Duct tape
Rain gear
Clock (wind-up or battery-powered)
Plastic garbage bags
Fire extinguisher
Scissors
Can Opener
Clean clothes
Extra blankets
Heavy gloves
FOOD AND WATER
Pack non-perishable food for each person for 3-7 days.
Bottled water (1 gallon/person/day)
Bottled juice
Two coolers: One for drinks & one for food
Canned foods
Manual can opener
Dry pet food
HOUSE CHECKLIST:
Remove outdoor items
Trim dead branches from trees
Board up windows
Fill gas tanks and extra containers
Get extra cash
Move furniture away from windows
Store important documents in waterproof containers
Extra supply of medicines
MEDICAL CHECKLIST:
Medic-alert tags
Insect-repellent sprays
Feminine hygiene items
Sunscreen
Soap
First aid kit
Prescription medication
Over-the-counter medication
Children's medicine
Bandages/Adhesive tape/Antiseptic solution
Thermometer
Tweezers
PET CHECKLIST:
Your pet will need more than a bag of food in a storm.
Water for your pet for 3-7 days Non-perishable food
Crate/carrier/tank
Leash (non-extendable)
Collar and/or harness
Favorite Toy
Blanket or pillow
Clean litter box
Updated shots and medical records
Microchip with up-to-date contact info
Any medications
Calming aids
Puppy training pads
Heartworm preventatives
Rain gear
Important Phone Numbers
ELECTRIC:
- Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) - (800) 683-5542
- Beaches Energy Services - (904) 247-6241
- FPL- Florida Power and Light- (800)-468-8243
- Clay Electric Cooperative ........... 272-2456
UTILITIES:
- Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) - (800) 683-5542
- Normandy Village Utility Co. - (904) 781-1194
PROPANE GAS:
- Western Natural Gas: - (904) 387-3511
TELEPHONE:
- AT&T: - (888) 757-6500
- Comcast: - (800) COM-CAST 266-2278
CABLE/SATELLITE SERVICES:
- Comcast: - (800) COM-CAST 266-2278
- AT&T U-Verse: - (800) 288-2020
- DirecTV: - (866) 319-9838
SCHOOLS:
- Duval County School Board: - (904) 390-2000
- Florida Department of Education: - (800) 447-1636 for list of all schools in Duval County
Duval County Fire & Rescue:
Jacksonville Sheriff ...................... 630-0500
Jacksonville Fire .......................... 630-0529
Ambulance Emergency .............. . 630-0529
Jacksonville Beach Police ........... 270-1661
Jacksonville Beach Fire ............... 247-6201
Neptune Beach Police and Fire ... 270-2413
Atlantic Beach Police and Fire ..... 247-5859
St. John’s County & Ponte Vedra Fire & Rescue:
- Ponte Vedra Fire.......................... 285-2030
- St John s County Sheriff .............. 824-8304
- St John’s County Fire ...... ........... 823-2586
- Sheriff Julington Creek Annex ..... 287-9238
orange park & clay County & Ponte Vedra Fire & Rescue:Orange Park Police ..................... 264-5555Orange Park Fire and Ambulance .............. 264-3411Middleburg Police ....................... 264-6512Middleburg Fire and Rescue ...,,.. 269-1047Clay County Government ............ 269-6330
OTHER IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
- NAACP: - (904) 764-7578
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): - (800) 440-8091
- City of Jacksonville: - (904) 630-CITY
- Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO): - 911 in the event of emergency | (904) 630-0500 for a non-emergency
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE): - (850) 410-7000
- St Johns County Missing Child hotline- (800)-843-5678
- (Marine Patrol) ............................ 270-2500Mayport Coast Guard ................. 564-7511
- FBI .............................................. 721-1211
- Poison Control Center....... 1-800-222-1222
- Hospitals Baptist Medical Center ............................ 202-2000
- Baptist Medical
- Center- Beaches ......................... 247-2900
- Baptist Medical Center ................ 821-6000
- Specialty Hospital ........................ 737-3120
- Memorial Medical Center ............ 399-6111
- Ten Broeck Psychiatric Hospital ......................724-9202
- St. Luke s Hospital ...................... 296-3700
- St. Vincent s Medical Center ....... 308-7300
- Shands Medical Center ............... 244-0411
- Wolfson Children's Hospital ......... 202-2000
- Mayo Clinic .................................. 953-2000
- Orange Park Medical Center ....... 276-8500
- Flagler Hospital .................... 866-834-3278
- Florida Highway Patrol JAX….904-695-4000
- Florida Highway Patrol St Aug….940-417-4272
U-Haul offers free self-storage during Hurricane Irma:
Haul is offering free self-storage for Florida residents who may be impacted by Hurricane Irma.Stores across Florida will offer 30 days of free self-storage at 96 of its facilities.
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Mayport 1650 Mayport Road Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 (904) 249-9934
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Amelia Island 1830 S. 8th St. Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 (904) 491-6966
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Argyle 8115 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32244 (904) 573-7940
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Downtown Jacksonville 400 W. Ashley St. Jacksonville, FL 32202 (904) 358-9909
U-Haul Moving & Storage at Edgewood Ave. 1651 W. Edgewood Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32208 (904) 764-2516
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Jacksonville Heights 9422 103rd St. Jacksonville, FL 32210 (904) 772-8592
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Mandarin 11490 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223 (904) 292-9404
U-Haul Moving & Storage at Normandy Blvd. 5481 Normandy Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 786-2424
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Oak Hill 7052 103rd St. Jacksonville, FL 32210 (904) 573-8912
U-Haul Moving & Storage at Phillips & Emerson 3435 Phillips Hwy. Jacksonville, FL 32207 (904) 398-3016
U-Haul Moving & Storage at Regency 9411 Atlantic Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32225 (904) 720-1932
U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Jacksonville 5630 Phillips Hwy. Jacksonville, FL 32207 (904) 731-1383
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Wesconnett 6805 103rd St. Jacksonville, FL 32210 (904) 772-8207
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Westside Jacksonville 6100 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32244 (904) 772-8704
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Orange Park 701 Blanding Blvd. Orange Park, FL 32065 (904) 276-9530
U-Haul Moving & Storage of St. Augustine 3524 U.S. Hwy. 1 S. St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904) 797-3667
Tips to take into consideration:
Have enough water to drink for at least seven days. It does not need to be bottled. Instead, fill all empty jugs, jars, and pitchers with tap water, and store in a safe place.
Start preparing ready-made meals now. Cook cold and frozen food in advance, like pastas, meat sauces, and chicken, and store in plastic containers inside the fridge. When and if the power goes out, eat this food first before looking to prepackaged and other nonperishable items. Make sure to have a can opener handy, too.
Fill plastic bags with water and place in freezer to keep the interior cold. Ice can also be placed in coolers to store other cold pre-made foods, like pizza, pancakes, sandwiches, salads, fruits, and vegetables.
Line all bathtubs with plastic sheets and fill with water. It helps prevent water from leaking down the drain. This is water you will use to flush the toilet and for other basic cleaning.
Place all valuable items and papers inside plastic bags and store in a secure place, such as inside dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, or safe boxes.
Designate a safe and fully-enclosed area in your home to stay in, in the event that you experience roof, window, or rising water damage.
Have batteries, flashlights, food, and water handy wherever you are in your home. Try to avoid walking around your house during the worst of the storm.SHO
W ME HOW
Get cash. Credit cards won't work without power.
Keep prescriptions, glasses, and other essential items on you or nearby at all times, including cash and important family documents.
Don't forget to keep a close eye on your furry friends and have a stock of necessary items, including pet food and carriers or crates with you.
Fill Ziploc bags with water and freeze them, or freeze jugs of water. Run your ice makers and bag the ice in freezer bags. Fill as much space as possible between your freezer items to keep items cold.
Freeze tap water for pets, cleaning or drinking in Tupperware-style containers. Leave a space at the top so the container doesn't crack.
Fill your bathtub with water so you can use it to flush your toilets. Or when it's not windy, place a large trash can outside to fill with rainwater that you can use to flush your toilet.
Put ice in your washing machine. It keeps it cool and the water will drain out.
Use two large, pump spout laundry detergent containers to create a makeshift soap dispenser and faucet. Fill one container with water and soap (or a little bit of leftover detergent). Thoroughly clean out another one of those containers and fill it with water so you can rinse items.
If you have a grill, stock up on propane. Buy charcoal so you can grill when you run out of propane.
Get cash. If you plan to leave the state, call your bank so you don't get flagged for suspicious transactions.
Use your camera phone to take photos of all important documents and either email them to yourself or upload them to a cloud service. Take the originals with you in sealed bags or bins. Make sure to also grab any veterinarian records for your pets or livestock.
Place photos and heirlooms in plastic bins in a high place or on the second floor, if you can't take them with you.
Secure all of your firearms and ammunition properly.
Use old rags and beach towels on your window sills to soak up any water that might seep in.
Shutter windows and doors and bring everything outside into your garage or house now. As on reader says, "Do not wait until the day before. Better to get done early and relax than wait until it's too late."
Get USB chargers that plug into your car's lighter socket to charge your phones, tablets and other electronic devices.
Keep spray paint handy in case you need to write on your house or roof.
Don't waste money on a poncho. During high-speed winds, it will wrap around your neck.
Fill up your car with gas and fill up any gas containers you have. Check your car's oil and tires.