Heeding the call to evacuate, some Jacksonville area residents are now bedding down at area shelters.
At Arlington Middle School some 40 people had already registered to stay at the shelter by 10:15 a.m., according to Principal Evan Daniels.
“Many of them came in, dropped off their belongings, went back to their respective homes in order to prepare their homes for the impending storm,” said Daniels.
Arlington Middle School has a backup generator so the air conditioning, lights and water will keep going, regardless of whether there is a power outage, according to Daniels, who added that all Duval County school shelters have backup generators.
Among those who evacuated was Northside resident Roy Hamilton.
Related: Tracking Dorian And More Weather-Related News
“The storm and the reports that we have received made me decide to come to the shelter,” said Hamilton.
Although his home has never been flooded, Hamilton wasn’t taking any chances.
“I just want to be in a secure place," he said.
Daniels said Arlington Middle School can accommodate up to 150 evacuees. WJCT News was asked not to take pictures inside the shelter out of respect for the privacy of the evacuees.
People living in Duval County Zones A and B remained under an evacuation order Tuesday as Dorian continued its slow march up Florida’s eastern coast.
The following shelters are open in Jacksonville:
Abess Park Elementary
12731 Abess Blvd Jacksonville, FL, 32225
General population
Andrew Robinson
101 W. 12th Street Jacksonville, FL 32206
General population
Arlington Middle School
8141 Lone Star Road Jacksonville, FL 32211
General population
Atlantic Coast High School
9735 R. G. Sinner Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Special needs, Pet friendly
Chimney Lakes Elementary School
9353 Staples Mill Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32244
General population, Pet friendly
Enterprise Elementary
8085 Old Middleburg Jacksonville, FL, 32222
Special needs
Landmark Middle School
101 Kernan Blvd. N, Jacksonville FL 32225
General population, Pet friendly
Mandarin Middle School
5100 Hood Road Jacksonville, FL, 32257
General population, Pet friendly
Oceanway Elementary School
12555 Gillepsie Ave, Jacksonville FL 32218
General population
Oceanway Middle School
143 Oceanway Ave Jacksonville, FL, 32218
Special needs
The Legends Center (DOH - Special Needs Only)
5130 Soutel Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32208
Special needs, General population, Pet friendly
Twin Lakes Elementary School
8000 Point Meadows Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32256
General population
More information about the shelters, including a Q & A information for those with special needs or pets is at JaxReady.com.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
