JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Jacksonville residents prepare for Hurricane Ian, Mayor Lenny Curry declared a state of emergency. During a press conference Tuesday, Curry warned those in the city of Jacksonville to get prepared now as the storm moves closer.
"This storm is nothing to take for granted. This is not the time to be complacent," Curry said.
The state of emergency for Duval County goes into effect on Wednesday, September 28, at noon. Curry said the City Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the emergency declaration.
"For those that do not know, a state of emergency declaration allows the city to more easily allocate dollars and resources to best protect lives and property," Curry explained.
Also Wednesday noon, Curry will activate the emergency operations center and close all city offices to the public and nonessential personnel. Curry said the Legends Center will open Wednesday beginning at 5 p.m.
"This is the only confirmed shelter as of today, but this could change as the storm approaches," the mayor said in Tuesday's press conference.
Curry said residents in the area should be ready for flooding from Hurricane Ian.
"The bottom line is if you flooded during Irma, you're likely to flood again, so you need to take today to get prepared," he said.
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Ian was upgraded to a Major Category 3 Hurricane at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday prior to the storm making landfall in Cuba.
At this time, the largest impacts look to be in the Tampa area through Sarasota as the right front of the storm is expected to pass over the metro area Wednesday bringing a 5 to 10 ft+ surge and winds over 105 mph are possible.
For the First Coast, we are confident the storm will interact with a front to the producing a steady onshore wind and rain starting Wednesday and ending Friday.