St. Johns County providing free sandbags to public in preparation for Idalia

St. Johns County is providing free sandbags starting at noon today (Aug. 28) and beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 29) at six locations throughout the county in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia.

The sand and bags are provided free of charge. The public must provide their own transportation and shovels and will be responsible for filling their own bags. There is a maximum allocation of 20 bags per person.

The sand and bags will be available at these locations:

• Windswept Acres Park – 5335 SR A1A S.
• Solomon Calhoun Community Center – 1300 Duval St.
• Hastings Community Center – 6195 S. Main St., behind the building
• Mills Field – 1805 Race Track Road, in the overflow parking area
• Palm Valley – Under the Palm Valley Bridge, on the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway
• North Beach Park – 3721 Coastal Highway, at the walkover

St. Johns County Emergency Management (SJCEM) urges the public to check their supply kits, secure their properties with window shutters and remove debris. Those in mobile homes, boats and RVs should prepare for the possibility of evacuation orders. The public should anticipate isolated power issues and exercise proper generator safety.

Go to sjcfl.us/hurricane to read the St. Johns County Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

“Current forecasts show the potential for inland hurricane-strength wind gusts with the elevated possibility of tornados,” county Emergency Management Director Joseph Giammanco said. “This is an intensifying storm, and we urge the public to take this seriously and be prudent and purposeful with their planning.”

St. Johns County Emergency Management encourages the public 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.