Cities adopt emergency management plan as Ian approaches

As Hurricane Ian continued to move toward Florida’s west coast, Clay County governments solidified preparations for weather and other hazards residents may face.

Green Cove Springs city council members adopted the county’s comprehensive emergency management plan last week and Keystone Heights is scheduled to ratify the document tonight.

The plan outlines the county’s preparation and response to disasters like adverse weather, hazardous materials spills, wildfires, terrorism and pandemics. Of the 13 hazards outlined in the document, wind from a tropical cyclone is the only one listed as a high risk, with flooding, drought and heat waves, freezes and wildfires listed as moderately high risks. According to the plan, earthquakes, civil disturbances and nuclear power plants are low risks to the county. 

The document states that river flooding is a particular concern in the county, with Black Creek experiencing property damage from flooding in 2012 damaging 578 homes. The creek flooded again in 2013 and in 2017.

“Clay County experienced record-breaking flooding in 2017, as a result of Hurricane Irma,” the report states. “Even though the storm only brought tropical storm force conditions to the area, it still produced substantial flooding in Black Creek. Cresting North Fork at 27.89 feet and South Fork at 29.36 feet; damaging an estimated 858 homes, completely destroying at least 275 of them. This was the worst flooding ever recorded for both sections of Black Creek.”

The plan also discusses the risks of dam failure at Lake Asbury, which has three private dams.

“These dams are rolled-earth construction and some of the oldest in the state,” the report states. “Recent improvements in 2013 to the South Dam were made to reduce the probability of dam failure while protecting downstream properties from flooding

due to large releases of stormwater from the South Dam.”

The plan states that the risk of dam failure is low under normal conditions. However, the risk of failure would increase with excessive rainfall, endangering residents and property around the lake and downstream Black Creek.