North Florida coastal counties split on impacts from Milton, some order residents to stay home

OId Kings Road in Flagler County was impassible due to flooding after Hurricane Milton. Image via City of Palm Coast.

While Hurricane Milton pounded Florida Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the reach of the mammoth tropical blast was extensive. Florida’s Gulf Coast counties took the brunt of the storm, while the Treasure Coast also sustained heavy damage as the system exited the peninsula to the open Atlantic Ocean.

But coastal counties well north of that area were also rocked by Milton. Both Flagler and St. Johns counties were advising residents to stay off local roads well into Thursday.

St. Johns County issued a demand for residents to stay indoors until further notice Thursday.

“Residents are encouraged to refrain from non-emergency travel until damage assessments are complete. Many roads may be blocked by flooding, debris, or downed power lines, posing hazards to drivers and pedestrians alike. Emergency responders are currently working to clear debris and restore access,” a St. Johns County news release said.

Heavy flooding was sustained in St. Johns County and there were widespread mandatory evacuation orders issued for many areas near water in that county. The entire historic city of St. Augustine was under that evacuation order.

North Florida television outlets broadcast wall-to-wall live coverage with local reporters from Wednesday continuing into Thursday. Action News Jax had a reporter in the middle of the historic district when waters from the Matanzas River breached seawalls and flooded much of the downtown St. Augustine area, which is a tourist favorite.

The floodwaters did recede in downtown St. Augustine by daybreak Thursday, subject to a receding tide.

There was other widespread flooding in suburban and agricultural locations in St. Johns County.

Flagler County just to the south was also hammered with heavy rains and flooding. That county also urged residents to remain sheltered in place Thursday. The city of Palm Coast in particular called upon residents to stay clear of roadways.

“The effects of Hurricane Milton continue to impact our community, leaving many roads throughout Palm Coast impassable due to significant water over the crown of the road, downed trees, and downed power lines,” a Palm Coast news release said.

“Several major roads, including Seminole Woods Boulevard, Belle Terre Parkway, Old Kings Road, and U.S. 1 in the southern part of the county, have high water levels. Do not attempt to drive on any road covered in water — it is extremely dangerous, and the depth or condition beneath the water can be misleading.”

Old Kings Road was also closed mid-morning in Flagler County from Utility Drive to about Oak Trails Boulevard due to water overrunning the road.

It’s estimated that some 50,000 residents of Flagler County were still without electricity and utility power as of Thursday morning. Felled trees and power lines littered the county, according to public officials.

In Duval County, home to Jacksonville, there were some tidal surge issues corresponding to high tides and removal of fallen trees was sporadic. But there were some power outages.

“Currently, power outages are impacting less than 0.3% of our customers. Our peak outage impact was 13,300 customers at 3 a.m. Thursday. During the overnight hours, crews restored power to 39,000 customers,” a JEA news release said Thursday.

Nassau County, the most northern county on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, issued an evacuation order for low-lying areas late Wednesday. But there were no major incidents reported as a result of Hurricane Milton in that county.