Hotels in Downtown Jacksonville and other inland areas in the city have reached full capacity as Florida residents in the path of Hurricane Milton evacuate their communities and seek shelter, Mayor Donna Deegan said during an Oct. 8 midday update on the storm.
With Milton approaching the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm, Deegan said the city was preparing to open as many as five additional public shelters for evacuees and local residents alike. The city already plans to open six shelters at 8 a.m. Oct. 9:
The surge of people escaping from areas of Central Florida came after state officials suggested Jacksonville as an evacuation site, which, according to Deegan, “gave us all a little bit of pause” as the city braced for the possibility of widespread flooding and power outages locally.
Deegan said hotels at the Beaches were expected to reach full capacity in the afternoon. She also noted that 300 evacuated horses were being sheltered at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.
The outer bands of the storm are expected to reach Jacksonville in the mid- to late-afternoon on Oct. 9, with the brunt of the storm projected to pass through during the overnight hours and into Oct. 10. On Oct. 8, Duval County was under a tropical storm warning, a storm surge warning and a hurricane watch.
Deegan said a storm surge of 2-4 feet was possible, along with rainfall of up to 10 inches. A local state of emergency went into effect at 8 a.m. Oct. 8.
With tropical storm-force winds and heavy rainfall coming on the heels of Hurricane Helene and other rain events that have left the soil saturated, officials are preparing to deal with downed trees and power lines. Deegan said JEA’s full staff of utility line crews would be on duty locally and that 20 additional contract crews were being brought in, bringing the combined workforce to 93% of its level during Hurricane Helene.
City shelters
The following shelters will open at 8 a.m. Oct. 9:
• Arlington Middle School, 8141 Lone Star Road, for the general population.
• Atlantic Coast High School, 9735 R.G. Skinner Parkway, for residents with special medical needs, pet friendly.
• Chaffee Trail Elementary, 11400 Sam Caruso Way, for general population.
• Landmark Middle School, 101 Kernan Blvd. N., open for general population, pet friendly.
• LaVilla School of the Arts, 501 N. Davis St., for general population.
• The Legends Center, 5130 Soutel Drive, open for general population and special medical needs, and pet-friendly.
Duval County Public Schools, city offices and courts will be closed from Oct. 9 through Oct. 11.
For a list of closures, visit https://www.jaxready.com/milton#accordion.
Shelter for cars
In addition, residents wanting to shelter their vehicles can park them for free in public Downtown parking garages beginning the morning of Oct. 8. Open garages are:
• Water Street, 541 Water St.
• Ed Ball Building, 238 W. Monroe St.
• Yates Building, 200 E. Adams St.
• Duval Street, 33 W. Duval St.
• Kings Avenue, 1201 Kings Ave.
Closures
Deegan said Oct. 7 that city offices would be closed Oct. 9 through Oct. 11.
Northeast Florida schools have also shut down Oct. 9 through Oct. 11.
Office closures from Oct. 9-11 also include the Duval County Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections. The Duval County Courthouse, State Attorney’s Office and Office of the Public Defender will be closed on those days as well.
Ferry to close, buses still running
The St. Johns River ferry will shut down after its 10:45 a.m. crossing Oct. 8 and will reopen Oct. 11, while the Skyway will shut down on the evening of Oct. 8 and remain closed through Oct. 10.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority buses will operate on a normal schedule but with JTA officials prepared to suspend service at any time based on weather conditions.