Jacksonville mayor urges residents to know their evacuation zone

National Preparedness Month starts Friday and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry took the opportunity to remind people about the importance of staying prepared for a potential disaster, including knowing their evacuation zones.

During Hurricane Matthew, the Action News Jax newsroom received hundreds of calls from people asking about evacuation zones. City leaders are urging everyone to take a minute and know what zone you’re in and the best evacuation route to take.

“We have to take mother nature seriously. It's unpredictable. Fortunately for us, it wobbled last year,” Curry said.

Curry said had it not been for that wobble from Matthew, Jacksonville may have faced a similar situation like the one Hurricane Harvey brought to Texas.

“The message today to our people in Jacksonville is have a plan, create a kit, get it ready and know your evacuation zone,” Curry said.

Jacksonville beach local Jeannie Marini heeded the mayor’s evacuation order last year.

Sky Action News Jax video showed long lines of cars trying to get back on to the beaches after the evacuation order was lifted.

Marini said seeing the images coming out of Texas this week has her thinking ahead.

“It's horrible, very sad, scary. We were just talking about having a really good plan for the next hurricane to make sure we'd be all right,” Marini said.

The peak of hurricane season isn’t for another two weeks, an important reminder that we still have a long way to go before this storm season is over.

Marini said she walked away with lessons learned from Matthew.

“Figure out what I’m going to want to put in a bin to take with me and have it you know and have it organized because you don't know what's so important right at that last minute,” Marini said.

Curry said Jacksonville's evacuation zones have not changed since Matthew. To lookup evacuation zones for Jacksonville and other counties in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, click here.

Cox Media Group