October 7, 2024
| Preparation for Hurricane Milton |
| Although we are not in the direct line of the eye of the storm, we do expect higher winds and heavy rains on Wednesday. Below are a few tips that should be followed to protect you and your property: Please make there are no items at the curb for trash pickup. If you have already placed your cans out, please remove them and store in a safe location. In response to the impending weather conditions, resources typically dedicated to recycling will be redirected to enhance yard waste collection services during the storm. FCC Environmental will deploy additional personnel and equipment, including external contractors using grapple trucks to facilitate yard waste collection. County Road and Bridge crews will also assist in the collection efforts to improve efficiency. Household garbage collection will remain on its regular schedule. To facilitate the resources dedicated to enhanced yard waste and household garbage collection, recycling collection will be suspended from Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Friday, Oct. 11. Recycling collection is expected to resume on Monday, Oct. 14, following the storm. Residents are encouraged to drop off yard waste at the County’s Tillman Ridge or Stratton Road Transfer Stations at no charge. Both facilities will remain open during normal operating hours: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Take a moment to review some safety tips to get prepared and be safe during possible inclement weather and storms: **Please remember to check your local forecast and notifications.” STAYING SAFE DURING A HURRICANE/STORM EVENT Review your family emergency plan Refill prescription medications Trim or remove trees that are close enough to fall and cause damage to your home or property Check for weather updates regularly on your TV, radio, or online Bring loose, lightweight objects indoors, such as patio furniture and garbage cans Anchor objects that are unsafe to bring indoors Purchase supplies to board-up windows if you do not have storm shutters Gas and service your vehicles Frequently check for weather updates on your TV, radio, or online. Move your vehicle to higher ground, a garage, or another safe location Fully charge your cell phone in case you lose power Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings and only open when necessary Close storm shutters and stay away from windows and exterior doors **Safety Reminder: Never use a generator, gasoline-powered equipment, grill, camp stove, or charcoal burning device inside or in any partially enclosed area. Keep such devices outside and at least 20 ft. from doors, windows, and vents. FOOD SAFETY: Whether you are evacuating or sheltering in place, the coin in freezer trick can be used to determine if the contents of your freezer thawed during a storm. Fill a cup with water and place it in the freezer. Once the water is frozen solid, place a coin on top and store the cup in the freezer. Upon return to your home, the coin’s location in the cup will determine if your freezer items stayed intact (at the top), partially defrosted (in the middle) or completely defrosted (at the bottom). As a general rule, when in doubt throw it out! Here are some important numbers to have on hand for storm related outages and issues: Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA 1-800-621-FEMA (3662) 1-800-462-7585 fema.gov Utilities: JEA 1-800-683-5542 (904) 665-6000 jea.com Beaches Energy (904) 247-6241 Radio Frequency: 162.550 MHZ 162.425 MHZ The St. Johns County Emergency Management Citizen Information Hotline (904-824-5550) is now open to help answer the public’s questions about Milton. St. Johns County Emergency Management encourages the public to stay informed through these options: Follow St. Johns County Emergency Management on Facebook (facebook.com/StJohnsEOC) and X/Twitter (x.com/StJohnsEOC). Sign up for the Alert St. Johns emergency notification system at www.sjcemergencymanagement.com.Ensure the notification settings selected allow you to be alerted at all times for your safety. Register for Nixle Alerts by texting StJohnsEOC to 888777. Download the SJC Connect app at www.sjcfl.us/sjc-connect. Enable notifications within the app to receive real-time updates. FacebookTwitterEmail Share We want to make sure everyone is prepared and aware. Stay safe!!!! |