Jacksonville's message is clear: 'Don't be complacent' in preparing for another busy hurricane season

Jacksonville's 900,000 residents are dealing with a lot on their plates these days, including rising gas prices, waste removal delays and questions about its sheriff's residency.

Add to that that a potentially very busy 2022 Atlantic hurricane season from now until Nov. 30.

So multiple city officials gathered Wednesday on the first day of the season to remind residents to prepare now for the coming storms. Mayor Lenny Curry pointed to Pacific Hurricane Agatha's damage to Mexico over the weekend and its potential to soak Florida this weekend.

Remnants of Agatha could become Tropical Storm Alex as it moves northeast over the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico over the next day or two. It could bring flooding rains across South Florida, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

"We have been through this with Matthew and Irma [in 2016 and 2017] and we had another scare a couple of years ago, situations where we had search and rescue involved," Curry said. "... So the message here is don't be complacent. There is already a storm out there. It looks like it could be a pretty active year, so this is the time to ensure you, your family and neighbors are ready."

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And despite news that Sheriff Mike Williams moved a year ago to Nassau County and whether he should be removed from office, Undersheriff Pat Ivey said the issue will not affect his department's hurricane preparedness at all.

"We have two full-time teams that are ready at the drop of the hat to step in," Ivey said. "We coordinate with the city and EOC. We will be prepared. As an agency, we have a plan and we just move on that plan."

Busy storm season predicted

A 65 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season has been predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration due to the ongoing La Niña and Atlantic Ocean temperatures. That would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season.

NOAA is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70 percent confidence.

With those predictions in mind, Curry joined Ivey, Fire Chief Keith Powers, Emergency Preparedness Division Chief Todd Smith, JEA Chief Opearting Officer Raynetta Marshall and others to discuss how the city is prepared.

But first he reminded residents multiple times to "know your zones" — meaning evacuation zones where people could be ordered to leave based on the category of an approaching storm, wave action, precipitation and flooding possibilities.

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"We have been through this many times and my message is, know your zone and prepare your kit," Curry said. "... We always hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I hope this season passes without incident, but I urge every citizen to review their Jax Ready emergency preparedness guide."

A map of Jacksonville's evacuation zones is at jaxready.com/Alerts/Evacuation-Zones. And a list of what preparations residents should make now for a coming storm and possible evacuation, like shelter locations, home safety and insurance updates and an emergency supply kit with food, water and other essentials, is also at jaxready.com.

Hurricane trepidations, but no plan

A new American Automobile Association survey reveals that a growing number of Floridians are more concerned about this year’s hurricane season, yet a large number of them do not have an emergency plan.

According to the survey, 27 percent are more apprehensive than last year (five percentage points more). But 29 percent do not make advanced preparations and 44 percent do not have an evacuation plan.

Make that evacuation plan now for people and pets, Ivey said. And if an evacuation order is issued for a neighborhood, please leave, the undersheriff said.

"Keep in mind that there will be a point during the storm that law enforcement will not be responding to calls for service and we will be seeking shelter," he said.

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As soon as the storm's worst is passed, officers will be back out helping people and assessing the damage. Homes and businesses can be rebuilt, but "human life cannot be replaced," he said. Ivey also reminded residents that sustained winds, usually of 40 mph, will force police to shut down bridges, stranding people from homes or their area city shelter.

Ivey also reminded people not to drive through flooded roadways.

AAA said the top reasons people cited for staying home include the concern (30 percent) that they cannot bring pets or don’t have a safe option for them, while 28 percent say they don’t know where to go. Other reasons: 25 percent say they want to stay home in case there’s damage to their home or property, while 23 percent are worried for financial reasons like they can’t afford a hotel.

The survey says a quarter of Floridians say they would ignore evacuation warnings altogether. And of those who would evacuate, three-in-five (60 percent) would only leave for an approaching Category 3 hurricane or stronger.

Other concerns, but reassurances

With gas prices rising to record rates, the concern that hurricane evacuees could be stuck in traffic as they leave the city and can't afford fuel was asked of the mayor. He said the city, Florida Department of Transportation and police work together to make sure evacuation routes work well.

"We have worked in previous years to mitigate major traffic jams and traffic flows that don't work, and we will continue to do so this year," Curry said. "We are very careful with timing and how we get things done now."

But with the recent suspension of recycling and yard waste pickup due to staffing issues still fresh in everyone's minds, how will the city handle the potentially massive amount of fallen tree removal after a storm? The mayor said the city has contracts with waste haulers to handle storm debris removal.

"If you look at the last two storms we went through in 2016 and 2017, my team worked with our contractors, drove them hard, and they answered the call to get the debris and got it moved," the mayor said. "We have manpower ready in an emergency situation."

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Curry said he did some pre-storm clearing of tree limbs at his home this week and encouraged residents should do the same.

And with supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, Curry urged people to buy storm supplies now, saying "there's no need to be rushing to stores at the last minute" as bad weather looms.

Marshall added that JEA has been working to improve electric and water systems, increasing maintenance and inspections as well as installing new technology, so crews "are definitely ready."

dscanlan@jacksonville.com (904) 359-4549

Hurricane prep:

• AAA recommends reviewing home and auto insurance coverage and including flood insurance. Store the insurance policy numbers and phone numbers in your phone in case you need to make a claim after the storm. Document belongings on video and store important documents such as birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policy information in a portable waterproof container. 

• Visit JEA.com/storm to ensure contact information is updated and to register for power restoration updates. To report outages during a storm, visit jea.com/outage or call (904) 665-6000. Customers who have enrolled in outage alerts also can text “OUT” to MyJEA (69532) to report their outage.

• The 2022 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday ends on June 10. Eligible Items include reusable ice packs, coolers and ice chests; portable, self-powered light sources; gas or diesel fuel containers; batteries excluding automobile and boat; bungee cords; tarpaulins and other items listed on the state website. New for 2022 are pet evacuation supplies such as pet food, cat litter pans, collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls; hamster or rabbit substrate, pet waste disposal bags, bags of dry pet food weighing 15 lbs. or less, and pet beds and carriers.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Hurricane Season 2022: Jacksonville leaders caution early preparation