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Clay County opens shelters, declares local emergency and urges mobile‑home residents to evacuate ahead of incoming storm
Summary
Facing a fast‑moving, wind‑dominant tropical storm projected to affect Clay County on Thursday, county emergency staff declared a local state of emergency, opened five shelters (two pet‑friendly), directed county offices to close at noon Wednesday and urged residents—especially in older mobile homes, RVs and metal buildings—to evacuate early.
County emergency management briefed commissioners and the public on a rapidly evolving tropical storm (referred to as Helena) expected to affect Clay County on Thursday, with a focus on wind impacts to saturated soils.
Emergency Manager Tim Devon and county staff explained that the storm—s track is narrow in most model guidance and that Clay County would be on the storm—s "dirty" right side, increasing the likelihood of strong winds, tornadoes and downed trees. Forecasts called for sustained winds in the 50 mph range with gusts to 70–80 mph in bands; rain totals were projected to be 3–4 inches but risk is amplified by already saturated ground.
County Manager and emergency leadership signed a local state of emergency effective at noon to enable staffing, purchases and operational flexibilities. The county stood up five shelters—including two pet‑friendly sites at Keystone Elementary and Orange Park High School—and identified sandbag distribution at the fairgrounds. Schools were announced as closed for Thursday and Friday; county offices were scheduled to close at noon Wednesday so employees could prepare homes.
Emergency staff emphasized that older mobile homes, RVs, metal buildings and boats are especially vulnerable and urged those residents not to wait to evacuate to shelters. The county asked residents to secure outdoor items and prepare for at least 72–96 hours of potential outage. Officials also noted that trash service decisions for Thursday and Friday remained under review and could change.
What happens next: The county will maintain EOC activation through the event, continue public messaging on social media and update shelter and service status as conditions evolve.
