Hurricane Milton back to Category 5, St. Johns County announces mandatory evacuations

As Florida braces for Hurricane Milton’s arrival, it’s imperative that residents prepare to keep themselves and their families safe. Here are live updates from Action News Jax as we follow the storm, providing timely and critical information as it comes in.

*Bookmark this link and refresh it often, as projections can change.

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Mike Buresh | Garrett Bedenbaugh | Corey Simma | Trevor Gibbs

5 p.m. Tuesday update: Hurricane Milton is back up to a category 5 with winds of 165 mph and a pressure of 918 mb. The storm is moving east northeast at 9 miles per hour.

12:30 p.m. Tuesday update: St. Johns County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire City of St. Augustine, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9. Emergency shelters will open at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Noon Update Tuesday: St. Johns County has announced mandatory evacuation orders for Zones A (along coastal and river areas, B, and F (South of State Road 206) effective at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. You can find which zone you are in HERE.

• Residents living in boats, RVs, mobile homes, and low-lying flood-prone areas throughout the county are also required to evacuate.

Three storm shelters will open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, to accommodate evacuees:

• Special Medical Needs: Freedom Crossing Academy, 1365 Shetland Drive, St. Johns

• Pet Friendly: South Woods Elementary School, 4750 State Road 206 West, Elkton

• General Population: Pedro Menendez High School, 600 State Road 206 West, St. Augustine

For detailed evacuation information, route maps, and updates, visit www.sjcfl.us/hurricane or call the Citizen Information Hotline at 904-824-5550.

10:05 a.m. Tuesday: The Florida National Guard (FLNG) has fully activated to support the state’s response efforts. Governor Ron DeSantis authorized the activation, and preparations are in place to ensure immediate action once the storm makes landfall.

• Liaison Officers have been positioned in 20 counties to coordinate mission requirements.

• FLNG has received 43 mission requests and is prepared to execute them.

• The Guard has pre-positioned the following assets:

Residents should continue to follow local emergency updates as the storm nears. For further information and images from the response efforts, visit DVIDS.

8:11 a.m. Tuesday: Hurricane warnings have been issued for St. Johns and Putnam counties

Duval, Nassau, and Clay counties have tropical storm warnings and a Hurricane Watch.

Storm Surge Warnings have been issued for Northeast Florida and the St. Johns River.

7:45 a.m. Tuesday: Governor Ron DeSantis holds a press conference in Tallahassee to provide an update on major Hurricane Milton.

7:00 a.m. Tuesday: Milton remains a category 4 hurricane in the Southern Gulf of Mexico. It’s expected to go back up to a cat 5 sometime in the morning or early afternoon.

Local impacts from the storm are expected to arrive Wednesday afternoon and linger into Thursday. The storm’s large wind field will impact our entire area.

• Along the coast and the Interstate 95 corridor, winds are expected to be 50 to 60 mph with wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph.

• In Downtown Jacksonville, winds are expected to be 40 to 50 mph with wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph.

• Our northernmost counties in Southeast Georgia could experience wind speeds of 25 to 30 mph and wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

Here’s a link to more local impact details on Milton in “Talking the Tropics with Mike.”

Read: Hurricane Milton: Closings, cancellations, and resources for Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia

Read: Hurricane Milton: County-by-county list of school closures in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia

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