Local News
Marcela Camargo, Digital Producer, Jacksonville
Khalil Maycock, Reporter, Jacksonville
Tags:Hurricane Milton, Hurricane, Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Northeast Florida counties started preparing and offering sandbags ahead of Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to impact the area later this week.
RELATED | JEA monitoring Hurricane Milton, says customers should prepare for possible power and water outages
On Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of the storm. However, on Sunday morning, DeSantis increased the number of counties under the state of emergency to 51.
The counties under a state of emergency: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.
Below is a county-by-county list of sandbag locations. This list will be updated as information becomes available.
Flagler County
Residents who need sandbags to protect their homes are encouraged to purchase them at local hardware stores. For those unable to do so, local governments are continuing to provide them as follows:
Countywide Residents (10 per household, self service – please bring a shovel):
Hidden Trails Community Center (6108 Mahogany Blvd, Bunnell)o Tuesday: 10 a.m. to sunset
Bay Drive Park (30 Bay Dr, The Hammock)o Tuesday: 10 a.m. to sunset
*The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will have assistance available at the Hidden Trails and Bay Drive Park locations from 11a-4p on Tuesday 10/8/24.
City of Flagler Beach Residents (Self service – please bring a shovel)
Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church (915 North Central Ave)o Tuesday: Starting at 9 a.m. - until sand supply is exhausted
City of Palm Coast Residents (10 per household, self service – please bring a shovel)
Indian Trails Sports Complex (5455 Belle Terre Pkwy) on Tuesday: Starting at 8 a.m.
• 100 Fin Way (Corner of Belle Terre south of SR-100) on Tuesday: Starting at 8 a.m. - self-service, assistance available
City of Bunnell Residents (10 per household, self service – please bring a shovel)
South Pine Street (200 block of South Pine Street) behind the Coquina City Hallo Tuesday: Starting at 11 a.m.
*Please note that sandbag locations may close sooner if supplies are exhausted.
Clay County
Clay County officials urged residents to prepare as soon as possible as flooding is a big concern due to the storm.
The county will have several sandbag locations open on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:
Eagle Harbor Sports Complex at 4387 Lakeshore Dr. in Fleming Island
Green Cove Springs at 25 Roderigo Avenue Green Cove Springs
Orange Park Sports and Recreational Park at 1086 Fromhart Street in Orange Park
Middleburg-Clay Hill Omega Park at 4317 Co Rd 218 in Middleburg
Across from Keystone Heights City Hall at 555 S. Lawrence Blvd in Keystone Heights
Sandbags are limited to 10 per person. Bags are first come, first serve and have a limited supply. The county will refill the sites as needed. People have to fill their own sandbags.
Nassau County
Nassau County is offering sandbags at the three locations through 7 p.m. Tuesday.
St. Johns County
St. Johns County will provide free sandbags on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as long as weather permits and supplies last at the following six locations ahead of impacts from Milton:
Windswept Acres Park – 5335 SR A1A South, St. Augustine
Solomon Calhoun Center – 1300 Duval Street, St. Augustine
St. Johns County Equestrian Center – 8200 Smith Road, Hastings
Mills Field – 1805 Racetrack Road, St. Augustine
North Beach Park – 3721 Coastal Highway, Vilano Beach
Palm Valley Bridge – East Side of Intracoastal Waterway
In coordination, the City of St. Augustine will provide free sandbags on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as long as weather permits and supplies last at the following location:
Francis Field – 25 W. Castillo Dr, St. Augustine
The sand and bags will be 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. A sandbag typically weighs about 30 to 40 pounds.
Alachua County
In preparation for Hurricane Milton, Alachua County staff will distribute sandbags (10 bags per vehicle) at Alachua County’s Wayside Park (11855 NW U.S. 441). Distribution begins today, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
After staffed hours, sand, bags and shovels will be available for self-service.
Alachua County is also distributing tarps at both the Alachua County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (5125 NE 63 Ave, Gainesville) and the Alachua County Rural Collection Center in Archer (19401 Southwest Archer Road, Archer) today until 5:30 p.m. or until they are gone.
The City of Gainesville is distributing sandbags today, from noon until 5 p.m., at City of Gainesville Public Works and Citizens Field. Each person is limited to 10 sandbags.
Pre-made sandbags are available at Public Works (405 N W 39th Ave.). To best manage traffic to the Public Works facility, city officials ask neighbors to adjust their routes and drive north on NW Sixth Street, turning right (east) on NW 39th Ave.
Self-serve sandbags are available at Citizens Field (1000 NE Waldo Rd.). Please access the site from NE 12th Avenue via Waldo Road or travel south on NE 15th Street via NE 16th Avenue.
The City of High Springs has sandbags available from noon to 6 p.m. at Memorial Park, 17380 NW US HWY 441. This is a self-serve site with a limit of 10 bags. Folks should bring their own shovels.
Micanopy has sandbags available self-serve at 706 NE Cholokka Blvd, Micanopy (behind the Town Hall building).
The City of Hawthorne has sandbags until 5:30 p.m. at 23016 SE 65th Ln, Hawthorne. Folks should bring their own shovels.
The City of Archer has self-service sandbags at the City of Archer Public Works (17156 Southwest Archer Road, Archer).
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About the Authors
Marcela Camargo
Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.
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