Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, along with beach community mayors, declared states of emergency Wednesday. That means the county will have access to resources and funds in case Hurricane Irma significantly affects the First Coast.
Curry encourages people living in evacuation zones A and B to evacuate as soon as possible, though no mandatory evacuations have been issued. He said those leaving later could face “major, major road clogs,” so he’s encouraging residents to get ahead of the traffic and leave now if they can.
Look up a house's evacuation zone at JaxReady.com.
Curry said, “This is a unique event with a storm facing the entire state, and people traveling from the south of us to escape the storm.”
He added, “If you’re a visitor, if you’re in Zone A or B and you have the ability, please leave."
Curry said if the storm continues on the projected track or worsens, mandatory evacuations are expected Friday.
The city plans to open 12 shelters on Friday, but those locations aren’t yet determined.
“You will have access to them with plenty of time before impact from the storm,” Curry said.
St. Johns County has also declared a state of emergency.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
