St. Johns County beach driving restricted ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia

In anticipation of Tropical Storm Idalia, St. Johns County Beach Services is providing the following updates for beach driving and St. Johns County Pier operations:

• Today (Aug. 28), all afternoon tolls are canceled, and tollbooths will be removed from the beach for public safety.
• Beach driving will be closed to the public beginning at noon Tuesday (Aug. 29) for the duration of the storm.
• The St. Johns County Pier will close at 5 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 29) for the duration of the storm. Barricades will be in place.

Additionally, the Porpoise Point gate will close at the regular time of 7:30 p.m. today, but it will not reopen on Tuesday (Aug. 29) as St. Johns County Public Works staff will be placing sand in front of the gate to protect against potential flooding.

In combination with the effects of Tropical Storm Idalia, tidal levels will become increasingly elevated this week along the St. Johns County coast and within the St. Johns River basin due to the upcoming full moon on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Coastal flooding is possible around times of high tide from Tuesday night through Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center has forecasted the potential for 1-3 feet of storm surge along the St. Johns County coast.

The public is strongly encouraged to exercise extreme caution and avoid ocean swimming and boating during this time.

The public is encouraged to stay informed through these options:

• Sign up for the Alert St. Johns emergency notification system at www.sjcemergencymanagement.com.
• Register for Nixle Alerts by texting StJohnsEOC to 888777.
• Monitor www.sjcfl.us/hurricane for all storm-related updates.
• Call the St. Johns County Emergency Management Citizen Information Line at 904-824-5550 with any storm-related questions.