St. Johns County replenishes free sandbags for residents in preparation for Hurricane Matthew

St. Johns County will have free sandbags available beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, at five locations throughout the county for the public in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. The sand and the bags will be provided free of charge.

St. Johns County expands mandatory evacuation order to include entire city of St. Augustine

Due to intensified conditions of Hurricane Matthew, St. Johns County has expanded the mandatory evacuation order for 6 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, for all of Evacuation Zones A and B, which now includes the entire city of St. Augustine and the town of Hastings.

Charity Poker Run canceled

The 4th annual Charity Poker Run, originally scheduled to be held Saturday, Oct. 8., has been canceled. There are currently no plans to reschedule the run.

Many events canceled

Due to extreme weather conditions expected to result from Hurricane Matthew, many scheduled events and activities at the Beaches and surrounding areas have been canceled. Some of these cancelations occurred after The Beaches Leader and Ponte Vedra Leader went to press.

Hurricane Matthew to impact Beaches

The mayors of the three Beach cities ordered the evacuation of all residents in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew impacting the coastal area. The orders were issued Wednesday afternoon. Hurricane Matthew, a Category 3 storm, is expected to most seriously impact the area Thursday and Friday. In St.

Mayport-based ships get under way as Hurricane Matthew approaches

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet ordered U.S. Navy ships in the Mayport area to set Sortie Condition Alpha or Bravo Oct. 4, as Hurricane Matthew heads toward the Florida coast.

Jacksonville Beach closes waters

Jacksonville Beach has temporarily closed its waters due to the extremely dangerous ocean conditions. Large and destructive surf, deadly rip currents and hurricane force winds will be present from Hurricane Matthew.

St. Johns County issues mandatory evacuation order in response to Hurricane Matthew

In response to the projected track of Hurricane Matthew, St. Johns County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for 6 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, for residents living in Evacuation Zone A and portions of Evacuation Zone B.

Jacksonville Beach issues evacuation order

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham has ordered a mandatory evacuation for Jacksonville Beach, effective immediately. Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette has also issued a mandatory evacuation. Additionally, the Neptune Beach City Hall will be closed.

Equality Florida Greater Jacksonville Gala postponed due To Hurricane Matthew

Due to the impending impact of Hurricane Matthew, the 2016 Equality Florida Greater Jacksonville Gala scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8, has been postponed. The rescheduled Gala will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The River Club.