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St. Johns County emergency official urges residents to prepare now for hurricane season
Summary
Kelly Wilson, assistant director of emergency management for St. Johns County, urged residents to know their evacuation zone, buy flood insurance well before storms, secure property (trim trees, shutter windows) and use the countys Know My Zone tool and transportation resources if evacuation is ordered.
Kelly Wilson, assistant director of emergency management operations for St. Johns County, urged residents during a WSOS radio interview to take preparatory steps now for the upcoming hurricane season and not to wait until a storm appears offshore.
"A watch means we have the ingredients," Wilson said, using a cookie analogy to describe watches and warnings. "A warning means we're eating the cookies" meaning conditions are imminent and people need to take action to protect their lives.
Why it matters: Wilson emphasized that the biggest danger in many recent storms has been water, not wind. She recalled that Hurricane Matthew produced storm surge "6 to 7 feet above ground" in some places and urged listeners to base evacuation decisions on surge forecasts and evacuation zones rather than what they remember from prior storms.
Wilson and Wayne Larson, director of public affairs for St. Johns County, walked through practical preparedness steps residents can do now. Wilson advised homeowners to trim trees and remove dead limbs, check whether homes have impact windows or, if not, obtain shutters or pre-cut plywood for windows. She also recommended securing loose items in yards so they are not windborne hazards.
Insurance and timing: Wilson reminded listeners that flood insurance takes about 30 days to take effect, so residents who lack coverage should purchase policies well before a storm appears. "You need to buy it today," she said, adding that more than 20 percent of recent flood claims come from properties outside designated high-risk flood zones.
Evacuation zones and tools: The countys Know My Zone tool, available on the St. Johns County Emergency Management website (sjcemergencymanagement.com), lets residents enter an address and learn whether they are in an evacuation zone (lettered A through F) and what action to take if that zone is ordered to evacuate.
Sheltering and transportation: Wilson said shelters do not allow weapons and that the county provides transportation for residents who need it. The Emergency Operations Center coordinates bus routes with partners including the St. Johns County School District and the Council on Aging; Wilson said the county can pick up pets when transporting residents to shelters. Pre-registration for transportation is encouraged via the county website.
What officials said next: Wayne Larson framed the conversation as part of the countys public education push and thanked Wilson for joining the program. The broadcast closed with a repeat of the county preparedness advice: know your zone, assemble disaster kits, secure property and arrange insurance and evacuation plans ahead of time.
The county resources Wilson cited include the Know My Zone tool on sjcemergencymanagement.com and the countys public affairs office for additional outreach and updates.
