Tropical Storm Ian: Essential information for Green Cove Springs, Clay County

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — As Tropical Storm Ian impacts Northeast Florida, Clay County and City of Green Cove Springs officials have provided residents with the following information to prepare for the storm.

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The following information was provided by Clay County:

The Emergency Operations Call Center is ready to answer storm-related questions at 877-252-9362. To sign up for emergency alerts visit alert.claycountygov.com. For all you need to know to about evacuations, shelters, sandbags, and government closures, go to alert.claycountygov.com. For the latest storm information, check www.claycountygov.com/community/emergency-management/disaster-preparedness/evacuation-sheltersE or follow us on our social media - Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Parks

All athletic events at our county parks will be canceled and our Parks and Rec facilities will be closed starting Wednesday through Thursday, and Friday pending impact. All parks are closed until further notice.

Libraries

All of our libraries will be closed at noon on Wednesday through Friday.

Closures

Government Closures: County government offices will close at noon on Wednesday, September 28, and will remain closed Thursday and Friday, pending storm impacts. Closures will include the County Administration Building and Public Works Offices, public libraries, Clay County Animal Services, the Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Administration Offices. The Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Office, Clay County Courthouse all branches will be closed all day Wednesday through Friday.

Clay County Schools closed Thursday through Friday.

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Evacuation orders

Evacuation orders have been issued for Evacuations Zones A, B, C and the Black Creek North and South Prong Zones. All mobile and manufactured homes and other vulnerable housing are considered Zone A regardless of where they are in the county.

Residents in these Evacuation Zones should seek shelter outside of the evacuation zone. Remember, you do not need to travel far to find a safe location outside of an evacuation zone.

The Evacuation Zone Helper can identify if your address is located in an evacuation zone http://public.claycountygov.com/evaczone/. If the address is not in an evacuation zone it will be indicated as none. If you need help, please call 877-252-9362.

Evacuation Shelters will be opening on Wednesday, September 28

Special Needs Shelter opens at 8 a.m.

• Lake Asbury Junior High School, 2851 Sandridge Rd. Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

General Population shelters will open at 3 p.m.

• Keystone Heights High School – Pet Friendly, 900 S.W. Orchid Keystone Heights, FL 32656
• Orange Park High School – Pet Friendly, 2300 Kingsley Avenue Orange Park, FL 32073
• Clay High School, 2025 W. State Road 16 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
• Wilkinson Elementary School - 4965 County Road 218W Middleburg, FL 32068

Please keep in mind that the only pets allowed are dogs, cats, rodents (such as hamsters and gerbils), rabbits, and birds, and the ADA allows a miniature horse, as long as it provided a service connected to the owner’s disability.

Call Center

For inquiries related to the storm, please call 877-252-9362.

Garbage Collection

Curbside collection will not occur Thursday and Friday, and Waste Management will begin normal routes on Monday. All solid waste facilities, including Rosemary Hill, will be closed Thursday and Friday and are planned to reopen Saturday, weather permitting. Residents can bring residential waste to our solid waste facilities when they reopen on Saturday (visit Garbage and Recycling on our website for locations).

The Rosemary Hill Solid, Waste Management Facility, will be accepting residential yard waste at no charge from Saturday, October 1 through October 11, 2022, during regular operating hours of Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Residents must provide proof of residency with a driver’s license, lease, or utility bill. Commercial waste will be charged at normal rates. All yard waste transported in any type of commercial vehicle will be considered commercial.

Closures

All government buildings closed today at noon and remain closed through Friday. All schools are closed until Monday.

Emergency Alerts

To sign up to receive emergency alerts, visit alert.claycountygov.com.

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Sandbags

Sandbags will be available on Tuesday, September 27, and Wednesday, September 28, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Ten bags per address. You can pick up sandbags at the following locations until supplies run out:

• Omega Park – 4317 County Rd 218, Middleburg
• Eagle Harbor Soccer Complex – 4287 Lakeshore Dr, Fleming Island
• City of Green Cove Springs – Old Fire Station – 25 Roderico Avenue, Green Cove Springs
• Town of Keystone Heights – Pick up at City Hall (555 S Lawrence Blvd.) Fill bags at Keystone Heights Cemetery (7304 SR 100)
• Town of Orange Park – Orange Park Athletic Association – 1086 Fromhart St, Orange Park

Residents need to show an ID with a county address.

The City of Green Cove Springs shared the following information with residents:

Stay up to date on the latest storm information:

• Sign up for City-wide text updates with TextMyGov by texting GCSWEATHER to 91896. You can also report storm damage and power outages by texting either “storm damage” or “tree down” or “power outage” to 904-560-5116.
• City will also utilize its Damage Assessment Dashboard through City of Green Cove Springs GeoHub during and after the storm, which is a real-time map of reported storm damage and outages to the City. Access the dashboard here: https://greencove.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/1f56e8b7b2dc46df8db64612f51978ea
• Residents can also get the most up-to-date information on City’s Facebook at “City of Green Cove Springs Government,” Twitter at @gcsTODAY, Instagram at @gcstoday, and on Nextdoor. City will post frequent PSAs on our website at greencovesprings.com.
• City of Green Cove Springs Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated at 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 28, 2022, and will remain open during the storm and through initial recovery and clean-up efforts.

Hurricane Ian Closures:

• City Buildings will be closed starting 7 a.m. on Thursday, September 29, 2022, with reopening announced as weather conditions are safe for normal operations.
• Trash and recycle pick-up will be suspended starting Thursday, September 29, 2022, and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so.
• City Pool will be closed Friday, September 30, 2022 to Sunday, October 2, 2022 due to hurricane weather conditions.
• City Pier, Spring Park Kayak Launch, and Vera Francis Park Canoe and Kayak Launch, as well as all City public parks will be closed starting 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

Hurricane Safety:

Clay County has issued evacuation orders for Zone A, B, C, and North and South Prong of Black Creek starting 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. Those living in evacuation zones can go to the following shelters starting 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28, 2022:

• Keystone Heights High School – Pet Friendly, 900 S.W. Orchid Keystone Heights, FL 32656
• Orange Park High School – Pet Friendly, 2300 Kingsley Avenue Orange Park, FL 32073
• Clay High School, 2025 W. State Road 16 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
• Wilkinson Elementary School - 4965 County Road 218W Middleburg, FL 32068
• While Hurricane Ian moves through our area, City services will be operating on a limited capacity. As the City begins to be impacted by the storm electric crews will work to maintain the electric grid until it is unsafe to do so. During the full impact of the storm, law enforcement will only respond to life-threatening emergencies and electric crews will begin any repairs to the electric system as soon as weather conditions are safe. Out of state electric crews will be staged within City Limits and ready to respond when conditions are safe.
• City has received several calls from residents with medical conditions concerned about sheltering in place during the storm. If there are no backup sources for electric power at home (such as a generator) the City advises that residents should plan to go to an alternate location during the storm, as everyone should expect extended power outages. Residents can be put on a waiting list for the Special Needs Shelter at Lake Asbury High School, 2851 Sandridge Rd., Green Cove Springs, 32043 by calling the Clay County Emergency Operations Call Center at 877-252-9362.

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