BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
GREEN COVE SPRINGS—Clay County Emergency Management Director John Ward said now is the time to prepare for storms by assembling a family disaster kit and talking about how families will respond to an approaching hurricane.
Ward said on a video produced by his department marking the beginning of the 2022 Hurricane Season that information on how to prepare for storms is on the county’s website: Alert.ClayCountyGov.com. He said the site includes preparation guidance for those with special medical needs.
The director added that evacuations zones in Clay County changed for the 2022 storm season, with Black Creek and the St. Johns River subject to storm surge.
Ward emphasized that residents should take evacuation orders seriously.
“When we issue those evacuation orders,” he said, “it’s probably going to be sunshining out just like it is today. But I want to make sure that you heed those orders when we do give them.”
A recent AAA survey reported that 25% of people said they would ignore evacuation warnings, but 60% of people said they would leave if a hurricane reached Category 3, or higher.
