Locals prepare as Milton is expected to cross entire Florida peninsula
Nassau County and the City of Fernandina Beach have both declared a Local State of Emergency ahead of another monsterous storm heading for Florida's west coast.
Nassau County schools are closed for Wednesday and Thursday and the Emergency Operations Center and sandbag operations are in full-force. Nassau County is in a flood watch until 6 p.m. Thursday.
“Mother Nature has been certainly taking its' toll on the Florida area,” Mayor of Fernandina Beach Bradley Beach said in a video shared by the city after the city's Local Emergency declaration. "We are now once again in a State of Emergency with preparation for Hurricane Milton coming our way."
Milton is a Category Five Hurricane as it approaches the gulf coast. Forecasts show Milton crossing the entire peninsula of Florida as a hurricane. Florida Governor Ron DiSantis has now issued a State of Emergency for 51 counties, including Nassau County.
The National Weather Service said today, “Category 5 Hurricane with sustained winds of 175mph as of 2 p.m. Milton will likely cross the Florida peninsula as a hurricane. Now is the time to make preparations to your home, make sure your hurricane kit is stocked and review your emergency plan.”
Today at 10 a.m. The Board of County Commissioners met to declare a Local State of Emergency and receive updates from Emergency Management Director Tim Cooper. The Emergency Operations Center is active and Cooper said it’s important residents don’t get complacent as the storm has several potential paths it has been forecast to take.
“What all the forecast are in agreeance (on) are is as it goes across the state, it is going to maintain a hurricane from the time it comes on the west coast to the time it comes on the east coast… if there’s anything positive I can report about this is it is fast moving, and it should improve pretty quickly after it gets off of our coast."
Cooper said the storm could make it to Nassau County anytime between 8 a.m. Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening. He said rain totals could be anywhere from 4-6 inches on the low end to 10-12 on high end, depending on the storm's path.
“That’s the best they can give me at the National Weather Service,” Cooper said.
Cooper said there will be an emergency shelter to be announced at a later time, most likely on the east side.
Cooper said transportation can almost always be provided to those seeking to take advantage of the shelter.
“We certainly in Nassau County are not out of the woods on this one at three days out,” Cooper said.
County leaders also encourages citizens to get out now if they think they might be in a low-lying area that could see flooding.
“They’re expecting the largest evacuation in the state of Florida ever,” Cooper said after agreeing with Chairman John Martin that if residents might evacuate, they should go now.
“If you’re a Nassau County resident and you’ve got a better place to be we’re going to see impacts … I would definitely encourage them to go,” Cooper said. “And it’s not outside the realm of possibility if this thing takes the GFS approach that we may see evacuation orders needed for Nassau County… yesterday areas like Piney Island were specifically named Barnwell Road…There’s going to be a lot of water in those estuaries, and on top of that, about the 15th, we’re supposed to have another King High Tide.”
Sandbag operations in the county and city are in full swing. The city and county both had several operations functioning Monday. Sandbag operations will continue until 7 p.m. tonight at Yulee Ballpark 86142 Goodbread Road, in Yulee and at Hilliard Road Department, 37356 Pea Farm Road, in Hilliard. The county said the sandbag sites will reopen at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
The city also had self-serve operations going Monday near Central Park, with operations to continue tomorrow.
No evacuation orders have been given in Nassau County but leaders are watching the storm forecasts.
"If and when the order for evacuation comes, it will be the island that evacuates first," Mayor Bradley Bean said midday Monday, stating that they will look out for the most vulnerable members of the community first.
The state of Florida has been combating misinformation through storm efforts and city and county leaders have both encouraged residents to get your information from credible sources. For more information on storm management in the county, visit Emergency Management's website, visit www.onenassau.com.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a press conference with media members Monday afternoon that they were confident there were enough resources for response efforts for both Hurricane Helene and the incoming Milton.
achandler@fbnewsleader.com