JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville authorities released additional details Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Ian's approach to Florida, an event that has already led to a planned state of emergency in the city and will likely bring flooding to the region, officials say.
Mayor Lenny Curry's state of emergency will go into effect on Wednesday at 12 p.m. however the city council plans to convene on Tuesday night to discuss the specifics of the declaration.
The city explained that the state of emergency allows for the allocation of money and resources to "best protect lives and property."
The City of Jacksonville warned that Hurricane Ian is anticipated to bring heavy flooding and added that those who had flooding during Hurricane Irma may see it again with this storm.
While the warning applies to the whole of Duval County, areas including Downtown, San Marco, Riverside, Southampton, Pirate's Cove, Ortega, Venetia, and the area around the stadium are all mentioned specifically as being at risk.
As such, though no mandatory evacuations have been ordered, residents are being asked to plan now and have supplies and supply kits ready. Residents should additionally make sure that loose objects and litter near homes be secured so they can't be blown away or otherwise moved by the storm.
Right now, the plan is for all city offices except senior centers to be closed to the public and non-essential personnel by noon on Wednesday.
Duval County Public Schools, which originally said it would be on an early-release schedule for Wednesday, will now close that day and remain closed on Thursday and Friday. All after-school activities are also canceled through Monday. The decision to close on Wednesday was made due to the possibility of evacuations.
Ahead of the storm, residents are urged to have vehicles fueled, clean water stored and phones charged. Additional planning details are available at JaxReady.com.
So far, the Legends Center is the only location scheduled to act as a shelter - this will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. - however, more shelters could be added as the storm comes closer to the Jacksonville area.