Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday it's still too early to predict the impact Hurricane Dorian will have, but he said the city is preparing and has opened the Duval County Emergency Operations Center.
“It’s early,” the mayor said. “This isn’t a crisis moment. This is a time to be prepared.”
Curry said city crews are out inspecting and performing preventative maintenance in flood-prone areas throughout the community to remove debris and maximize the capacity of drainage systems.
Officials will continue to monitor Dorian's track before deciding whether storm shelters will open.
The mayor also said that the Florida State vs. Boise State football game at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday, Aug. 31, is still on schedule as planned, but the city will continue to monitor weather conditions.
Our @CityofJax emergency operations team is monitoring #TropicalStormDorian . We will be providing updates as this develops. This is a good time to check your hurricane kit & be prepared. Follow local news and @JaxReady .
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) August 28, 2019
Tropical Storm Dorian officially became Hurricane Dorian on Wednesday, with sustained winds topping 75 mph as it bore down on Puerto Rico and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
It's expected to be a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reaches Florida.
"All indications are that by this Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near Florida or the southeastern coast of the United States," the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday afternoon.
- NPR's Bill Chappell contributed to this report.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
