FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean has issued a local state of emergency due to "record rainfall."
Bean said in a Facebook post Thursday that rain is "overwhelming the stormwater system," particularly in the downtown area, as some homes and businesses in the city are experiencing stormwater coming through the wastewater system. The city said downtown businesses may consider closing.
"Our number one priority is your safety, our city team will be working through the night to do as much as we can," Bean's post states. "Please stay safe."
Along with the local state of emergency, the city has chose to shut down the city's sports fields for the remainder of the week, and said "heavier than usual staff and police presence will be on the roads."
The following is a list of sports fields the city said are closed:
- Central Park (baseball and football)
- Ybor Alvarez Complex
- Joe Velardi Field
- Peck Field
- Hickory Street Park Fields
- Charles Albert Field and Practice Fields
"We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause to your schedules," the city said in a separate Facebook post Thursday. "However, we must take this action to protect the grounds from sustaining any substantial damage. We will reassess the situation next week. If the weather persists, we may need to continue with the closures."
The city encourages you to report flooding to Nassau County Emergency Management here.