EVACUATIONS: See what counties have mandatory evacuations
Several counties in Northeast Florida have announced shelter locations as the state braces for Hurricane Irma.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Officials are urging people in evacuation zones to seek refuge at shelters if they cannot leave town.
LATEST: Irma's track shifts west bringing storm over Jacksonville
Duval County shelter information
City officials announced 13 shelter locations in Duval County Friday. They opened at 10 a.m.
The American Red Cross is in charge of registration and keeping the facility in order. The National Guard will be at all the shelter locations designated by the city in Duval County.
General Population Shelters:
Location Address Pet Friendly
1. Landmark Middle School 101 Kernan Blvd N (32225) Yes
2. Twin Lakes Elementary 8000 Point Meadows Drive (32256)
3. Chimney Lakes Elementary 9353 Staples Mill Drive (32244) Yes
4. Mandarin Middle School 5100 Hood Road (32257) Yes
5. Oceanway Elementary 1255 Gillespie Ave (32218)
6. Abess Park Elementary 12731 Abess Blvd (32225)
7. Legends Center * 5130 Soutel Drive (32208) Yes
8. Andrew Robinson 101 W. 12th Street (32206)
9. Arlington Middle School 8141 Lone Star Road (32211)
Special Needs Shelters
1. Legends Center * 5130 Soutel Drive (32208) Yes
2. Atlantic Coast High School 9735 R.G. Skinner Pkwy (32256) Yes
3. Oceanway Middle 143 Oceanway Ave (32218)
4. Enterprise Elementary 8085 Old Middleburg Rd (32222)
City Rescue Mission in Jacksonville is providing accommodations for 100 people at its 234 W. State St. facility.
The shelter will open at noon Friday.
The Salvation Army in Jacksonville will provide shelter for the city's homeless population. Officials have not yet released an open time or date.
Hotels
Action New Jax checked area hotels and found there are still rooms available along J.Turner Butler Boulevard, including La Quinta Inn and Suites and Hampton Inn. Both are pet friendly.
Hotel employees said area hotels are filling up but they are also getting cancellations throughout the day as people change their plans.
Northeast Florida residents have some competition as South Florida residents like Shauna Stewart are finding refuge in the River City.
“We looked in Atlanta, we moved to Macon, then new moved to Savannah and all of that was booked,” Stewart said. “We found that hotels here along the coast, east coast, were available so we chose the first one north that we could found, which was here in Jacksonville,” she said.
Duval Mayor Lenny Curry is urging people in evacuation zones A and B to leave now before the roads get clogged.
St. Johns County shelter information
Four shelters in St. Johns County are open.
The following shelters will be open to the public:
- Pacetti Bay Middle School, 245 Meadowlark Lane (Special needs)
- Mill Creek Elementary School, 3750 International Golf Parkway
- Timberlin Creek Elementary School, 555 Pine Tree Lane (Pet-friendly)
- Pedro Menendez High School, 600 State Road 206 West (NEAR CAPACITY)
- Bartram Trail High School, 7399 Longleaf Pine Parkway. (General population)
St. Johns County also has an curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly beginning Sunday for St. Augustine Beach, St. Augustine and portions of St. Johns County lying east of the Intracoastal waterway on the barrier islands. More information from St. Johns County.
Nassau County shelter information
Nassau County officials said five shelters will open at 6 p.m. Friday, when mandatory evacuation orders go into effect.
Locations:
- Hilliard Middle School (pet-friendly & special needs)
- Hilliard Elementary School
- Bryceville Elementary
- Callahan Intermediate School
- Callahan Middle School (pet-friendly)
Clay County shelter information
Clay County officials said a special needs shelter at Lake Asbury Junior High at 2851 Sandridge Road will open at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Four general population shelters will open at noon Saturday:
- Clay High School, 2025 Florida 16, Green Cove Springs
- Orange Park High School, 2300 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park - pet friendly shelter
- Wilkinson Elementary School, 4965 County Road 218, Middleburg
- Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School, 900 Orchid Ave. - pet friendly shelter
Columbia County shelter information
Three hurricane shelters will open at 6 p.m. Saturday:
- (At capacity) *SPECIAL NEEDS ONLY SHELTER* Westside Elementary School, 1956 County Road 252B, Lake City
- OPEN Fort White High School, 17828 Florida 47, Fort White
- (At capacity) Winfield Community Center, 1324 NW Winfield St., Lake City
- OPEN Richardson Community Center, 255 NE Coach Anders Ln, Lake City, FL 32055
- OPEN Richardson Sixth Grade Academy, 646 SE Pennsylvania St, Lake City, FL
- OPEN Pinemount Elementary School, 324 S W Gabriel Pl, Lake City, FL 32024
Bradford County shelter information
A shelter at Starke Elementary School, 1000 Weldon Street, will open Saturday at 6 p.m. The shelter is for the general population, people with special needs and pets.
Two other shelters at Madison Street Baptist Church, 900 W Madison Street, and First Baptist Church, 163 W. Jefferson Street, will open Saturday at 6 p.m.
Officials are asking people to bring essentials including personal hygiene items, medications, electronics, cot or air mattress, blankets, pillows, important papers, entertainment items, etc. If you are bringing your pet it must be in a crate and have its own water and food supply.
Putnam County shelter information
Putnam officials have opened seven shelters in the county.
County officials announced a mandatory curfew will begin Sunday at 8 p.m. through 8 a.m.