Wary Jacksonville watches Tropical Storm Elsa, gears up for downpours

Elsa at 4:50 p.m. July 5. Image via AP

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared Northeast Florida counties, including Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, and Nassau, under a state of emergency ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Elsa.

While top level winds may not be primary worries at this point, water is another matter, including for areas outside the watch zone. Up to five inches of rain is forecast, and torrential downpour is likely.

A rainy spring and summer has made the city more prone to flooding during the daily deluges. Elsa, said Mayor Lenny Curry and other leaders at Jacksonville’s Emergency Operations Center Tuesday, raises concerns.

Curry said the storm would begin to impact the area late Tuesday with “conditions worsening overnight.”

“While we’re on the edge of the cone and not expecting widespread damage, there’s still a chance for flash flooding, strong winds, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. While we are no stranger to these conditions, it is important that everyone is prepared,” Curry said.

Shelters won’t be open. Evacuations will not be ordered. But summer camps, school programs, and public pools will be closed. Sulzbacher will open its emergency shelter the next two nights to accommodate the homeless, Curry said.

Those who saw downtown, Riverside, and other low lying areas flooded during Hurricane Irma a few years ago know what a rainmaker storm can do.

“We’ve been surveying, clearing drainage systems and flood-prone areas throughout our city,” Curry said, noting that flash floods would nonetheless be an issue in certain areas. The Mayor defended the performance of the Public Works department, saying they’re “doing their thing, as would be expected.”

“We are an 860 mile plus square mile city, so there’s a lot of ground to cover here,” Curry added, when pressed by WJXT’s Jim Piggott on whether they had enough staff to handle storm prep in the waning hours before the weather deteriorates.

“Anytime you’re facing a weather event or a natural event, there are things that happen that infrastructure just can’t handle,” Curry added. San Marco and Ken Knight Drive are among the trouble spots.

“This isn’t our first rodeo,” Curry said, describing an “active six years” of storm prep under his watch.

Water levels are two feet below what they were ahead of Irma in 2017, another source of relative reassurance as Elsa approaches. But people in low-lying areas should nonetheless take precautions, city officials noted, ahead of the beginning of winds and rains later Tuesday.

Sheriff Mike Williams urged people to avoid driving through standing water and to follow officer directives if lights are out at intersections. Bridges aren’t expected to be closed at this point, he said.