HURRICANE IAN: St. Augustine, St. Johns County officials examine damage from Ian

From Staff Reports
·3 min read

St. Johns County and St. Augustine officials are starting to assess damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

The assessment is not an inspection of structures, but rather an overview of the extent of damage and to identify the location of visibly damaged structures, according to a news release.

A board holds shutters closed Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 in St. Augustine. Hurricane Ian, that was later reduced to a tropical storm, ripped through the region Thursday bringing winds, rain, flooded roads, power outages and downed trees.
A board holds shutters closed Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 in St. Augustine. Hurricane Ian, that was later reduced to a tropical storm, ripped through the region Thursday bringing winds, rain, flooded roads, power outages and downed trees.

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Flooding was reported in downtown St. Augustine, Summer Haven, Hastings, Flagler Estates and Matanzas Inlet. The Bridge of Lions was still closed Friday morning.

St. Johns County is asking residents or business owners with storm-related damage to call the St. Johns County Building Services Structural Hotline at 904-827-6836. City of St. Augustine residents and business owners can call 904-209-4327.

Power outages

Power is starting to get restored in St. Johns County as residents start to deal with flooding in various sections.

As of 1:15 p.m. Friday, more than 9,900 customers were without power. That is about 7.5% of all customers, and includes Florida Power & Light and Jacksonville Electric Authority.

Workers from across the country are restoring power as soon as possible.

Overall, less than 1.9 million customers are without power in Florida.

Evacuation order

St. Johns County has lifted all evacuation orders, according to a news release. Residents are urged to drive with caution as isolated areas may still have standing water and some areas may be restricted by emergency services. Shelters will begin demobilizing and close at 3 p.m. Friday.

For information, call the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center hotline at 904-824-5550.

Debris

When the cleanup process begins, the City of St. Augustine requests residents create three piles of debris — yard waste, construction materials and furniture or appliances. The city will schedule times for pickup.

Place the piles within 15 feet of the curb so the debris can be reached by crews and claw trucks.

For information, call Public Works at 904-825-1040.

Storm information

Residents can find information at the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center website at SJCEmergencyManagement.org. The St. Johns County Emergency Management Citizen Information Line is 904-824-5550 or go to http://sjcfl.us/hurricane. For information from the city, go to citystaug.com.

For state information, go to floridadisaster.org.

Visit the FEMA Website at fema.gov/disaster/4673 for information on services and assistance or call FEMA at 800-621-3362 (711 or Video Relay Service, for TTY, call 800-462-7585).

Report flooding

The City of St. Augustine Public Works department is asking residents to report flooding at http://www.citystaug.com/ReportFlooding or emailing stormwater@citystaug.com.

City offices

City of St. Augustine government offices will be closed until further notice.  The St. Augustine Municipal Marina is closed until further notice. For information, call 904-825-1004 or go to citystaug.com.

Northeast Florida Regional Airport

The Northeast Florida Regional Airport is closed until further notice. For information, call 904-209-0090 or go to flynf.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Officials from St. Johns County, St. Augustine examining area damage