Recovery efforts continue across Duval County

Residents clean up, assess damage from Hurricane Matthew

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Residents in areas greatly impacted by Hurricane Matthew received a visit from Mayor Lenny Curry on Sunday.

Joined by representatives of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Federal Emergency Management Agency, the mayor provided water and food to residents in homes that suffered severe damage from the storm.

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“Although it was tough to see damaged homes, trees through roofs and downed power lines, I am so glad residents in these areas evacuated,” Curry said. “Based on what I saw today, many lives could have been lost as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew.”

The mayor visited neighborhoods in the Ft. Caroline, Mayport and Northside areas -- located in evacuation zones A, B and C.

Curry lifted the evacuation order for those areas at noon Saturday as crews assessed the damage.

"It's a new day," Curry said during a post-hurricane briefing. "We're on the other side of it now and there's a lot to be done."

The National Weather Service said flooding will continue as elevated water levels are expected to remain within the St. Johns River for at least a week.

Curry also visited Jacksonville fire stations Sunday and thanked first responders for their hard work and commitment to public safety.

City officials said Saturday that one person died during the storm, but gave no details. News4Jax learned that Bob McDonald was on his roof Saturday putting a tarp on a leak when he fell and died at the hospital. He death was announced on the Facebook page of his church Lakewood Presbyterian.

Nearly a quarter million JEA customer lost power during the hurricane and 102,780 were still without electricity at 9 p.m. Sunday. Utility officials said JEA had 1,426 employees involved in restoration efforts, 43 mutual aid crews were in the city working Sunday.

For more on the restoration process, go to jea.com/restoration. If persons experience downed lines, please stay clear and call 630-CITY in Duval County. Customers can Text REG to MyJEA (69532) to register to notify JEA of an outage. Citizens can then text OUT to MYJEA.

Duval County Public Schools will be closed Monday, along with the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University. Florida State College at Jacksonville and Edward Waters College will resume classes Monday.

City of Jacksonville offices will open for normal business on Monday, but the Duval County Courthouse and Clerk of Courts will not reopen until Tuesday.

Duval County had closed most shelters, but one remains open:

  • Legends Center at 5130 Soutel Drive 

Those staying in shelters must bring their own food, water and bedding.

PHOTOS: Hurricane Matthew's aftermath

To aid in damage assessment efforts, residents and businesses are asked to report structural damage to 630-CITY or 630CITY.coj.net. This includes roof damage, cracks in the home and/or foundation and downed tree on house. Persons should provide address, detailed description of damage and a photo (if submitting by website).

Storm surge and rough surf tore off the end of the Jacksonville Beach Pier and ocean water washed inland passed 2nd Street in some areas. Trees were reported down across the city, some blocking streets, although all major roads were open.

WATCH: Sky 4 surveys Hurricane Matthew damage | Coverage of historic storm

Boil water advisory for some

There is no county-wide boil water advisory in effect for JEA water. However, anyone who has been without water as a result of the storm should boil their water, in an abundance of caution.

Due to flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, the Florida Department of Health in Duval County is advising individuals under a boil water notice to take precautions against contaminated water.  This is likely to mainly effect those with flooded drinking water wells.  If your drinking well has been covered with flood water, your water may contain disease-causing organisms and may not be safe to drink.


The Department recommends one of the following:

  • Boil water, before use, holding it at a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes.
  • Disinfect water by adding 8 drops (about 1/8 tsp – this would form a puddle about the size of a dime) of plain unscented household bleach (4% to 6% strength) per gallon of water; and then let it stand for 30 minutes. Add 7 drops of bleach if high strength bleach is used (8.25% strength).  If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure once.
  • Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water to be used for drinking. This will maintain your disinfection.
  • Use bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.

If your drinking water Well Head was flooded, please complete the following:

  • Disinfect your well using the procedures available from your county health department or provided on the Florida Department of Health Private Well Testing webpage, http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/index.html.
  • Have your water tested by your county health department or by a laboratory certified by the State of Florida to perform a drinking water analysis for coliform bacteria.
  • Maintain boil water instructions until you receive the results from the test.

JTA transportation

JTA resumed fixed route bus service on Sunday.

The St. Johns River Ferry will resume normal operations on Monday.

JTA will resume operation of the Skyway on Monday.

Garbage/recycling collection

Waste collection originally scheduled for Friday will occur on Sunday. It is critical to the collection effort that yard waste and wood debris, such as branches and limbs, remain separate from construction debris and other household waste. Please place debris at the curb and at least three feet away from utility boxes and poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants and other impediments. Do not place materials under trees.

  • Regularly scheduled yard waste collection will be limited to bagged and containerized waste, and the five cubic yard limit will remain in effect.
  • Loose debris will be collected separately by storm recovery crews. There is no volume limit on loose debris. As a result, residents should leave debris loose and piled by the curb, even that which would ordinarily be containerized.
  • REMINDER: Outdoor open burning is strictly prohibited without a permit.JTA service remained suspended on Saturday so first responders can ensure roads are safe and passable. JTA is planning to resume fixed route bus service on Sunday.

Public Works continues post-storm efforts

In  Hurricane  Matthew’s  aftermath, the city of Jacksonville Public Works department continues to assess the damage and actually doing what they call a cut and toss -- cutting up trees, removing them and placing them on the side of the road for future disposal. It's something the city said homeowners can do as well.

As of Saturday evening, the department had addressed 81 stormwater related issues, 405 tree issues and 147 malfunctioning traffic signals

Public Works, collaboratively with JEA, is working to restore traffic control signals, which are dependent on the availability of power. 

Additionally, stormwater crews are checking drainage systems in low-lying areas to identify and remove blockages that may be causing retention of floodwaters. The city will also deploy an increased number of street sweepers beginning Sunday through Saturday, Oct. 15.

  • The Public Works “Cut & Toss” team was deployed at 7a.m. Saturday. They will be removing trees and debris from roadways. Priority areas including known locations of downed trees and the main corridor will be addressed first.
  • Persons can report needs for service by calling 630-CITY.
  • Waste collections normally scheduled for Friday have been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 9.
  • Begin cleanup of  yards and properties as soon as possible, and bring storm debris to the
    curb in order to help inspectors understand the volume of debris and coordinate response efforts accordingly.
  • Regularly scheduled yard waste collection will be limited to bagged and containerized waste, and the five cubic yard limit will remain in effect.
  • Loose debris will be collected separately by storm recovery crews. There is no volume limit on loose debris. As a result, residents should leave debris loose and piled by the curb, even  that which would ordinarily be containerized.   
  • Place debris at least three feet away from utility boxes and poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants and other impediments. Do not place materials under trees.
  • Avoid parking on streets whenever possible to aid in storm recovery efforts.
  • Residents can take debris directly to Trail Ridge Landfill -- disposal fees will apply.
  • Assist with the clean up efforts on roads and rights of way, if it is safe to do so. Remove debris from neighborhood streets, gutters and on storm drains. 

Huguenot Park closed

Huguenot Park is closed because of damage from Hurricane Matthew.

The storm surge ripped up the paved road that parallels the St Johns River along the camping area across from the Mayport Navy base.

Huguenot Park is the only beach in Duval County that allows vehicles, but there’s no access to it now.

Huguenot is also known for its nesting shore bird habitats, which are believed to have been impacted greatly by the storm surge, which was projected at 7-9 feet in the area.