Hundreds sought shelter from the storm – and found it.
As Hurricane Matthew inched up the East Coast, a mandatory evacuation of zones A, C and F was issued.
Many residents sought refuge the morning of Oct. 6 with storm shelters set up in schools on both sides of the county.
At Callahan Middle School that afternoon, at least 55 people had already assembled with their belongings at the cafetorium.
At its peak, 173 people stayed at the facility, which has a capacity to serve 528. Eight staff members and six National Guard members were on hand to assist.
Some like Andrea Good, 33, brought her family pets – two Italian Greyhounds, one Maltese-Shih-Tsu mix and a Cocker Spaniel mix to the pet-friendly shelter.
They joined 23 other dogs, 12 cats and two ferrets already temporarily housed.
“They allow pets,” she said. “I wouldn’t have come if they didn’t. I’m a weird dog-person. They’re my babies and I love them.”
Good lives west of I-95 in the Plummer Creek subdivision. As a military wife, she didn’t have any nearby family members to share shelter.
“The area all around is full of creeks,” she said. “The possibility of a surge and stuff, they had a mandatory evacuation.”
Good befriended Miranda Williams while she was at the shelter.
Williams lives near the Thomas J. Shave Jr. Bridge. She found out about the shelter by asking a deputy while stopped at a gas station in Yulee.
She has lived in Fernandina Beach for a year and wasn’t concerned about hurricanes.
“Not really,” Williams said. “I haven’t been worried about it before. And wasn’t worried about it until yesterday.”
She waited for her mother to collect her so they could travel to Griffin, Ga. to stay with family. Good planned to remain at the shelter until officials said it was safe to return home.
CMS Principal Kim Harrison and Asst. Principal Brad Underhill served shelter occupants by addressing their needs. They began working at the shelter in the early morning hours. Cafeteria Manager Tina Owens prepared meals.
“We’ll be here until they tell us it’s safe to go home,” Harrison said. “My family is at home with the generator.”
Underhill spent his time purchasing food and extra blankets at stores. The pair also mopped and cleaned toilets to prepare for residents.
American Red Cross Assisting Manager of Shelter Kathy Mullen was also on hand to help those in need along with Emergency Management volunteers Ernest and Barbara Garcia.
Fernandina Beach resident Julie Thompson evacuated her condo to stay with sister Tina in Callahan. They donated pillows and blankets to shelter occupants.
“I have some extra at my house I can share,” Thompson said. “And I stopped to pick up extra at the store.”
Several schools provided shelter for area residents. Bryceville Elementary opened Oct. 6. with a capacity of 128, serving 28 at its highest count, according to Nassau County Emergency Management Public Information Officer Dave Richardson. Callahan Intermediate School served 90 people with a capacity of 327. Twelve staff members and six National Guard members were on hand while Hilliard Elementary School served 100 occupants with eight to nine people on staff. It has a capacity of 326.
Hilliard Middle-Senior High School was also pet-friendly and served individuals with special needs. Up to 14 dogs were in residence with 117 people assisted. The building has a capacity of 156. Twelve National Guard were deployed.
All residents were sent home by 4 p.m. Sunday except two special needs residents who were still without power. They were transported to First Baptist Church of Boulougne served as an American Red Cross shelter until power was restored to their homes, Richardson said.
West Nassau High School assisted 25 residents. It can assist up to 561.
Yulee High School is pet-friendly and has a capacity of 1,373 people. Fifty-five people utilized the facility. Thirty-nine law enforcement officers rotated through 12-hour shifts at various times.
At Yulee Middle School, 90 people received assistance. The building has a capacity of 965. Fifteen first responders were dispatched.
Tree Debris
By Saturday, the storm’s aftermath in western Nassau was evident with felled trees and debris-strewn yards and streets.
Bryceville resident Johnny Whaley heard the oak tree when it fell in his front yard about 1 a.m. Saturday morning.
He just moved to the area about a month ago along the 101200 block of County Road 121. He had recently removed trees that stood close to his home as a safety precaution.
“That’s the only damage other than the little limbs that I saw,” he said.
Whaley wasn’t too concerned about the hurricane’s impact, though.
“We’re so far inland,” he said. “We would get the outskirts of it. Not the full impact of it. When you start worrying is when it comes inland and starts crossing your path. Then you start worrying. Debris is everywhere. It’s much worse. Those people around the coastline got hammered pretty hard. You can’t control water. Once it gets started, it takes everything with it.”
Matthew’s winds were still strong enough to take down trees.
A pine tree fell across C.R. 121 near Cortez Road, blocking the two-lane road.
Nassau County Road and Bridge employees cleared most of the debris away Saturday around 4 a.m., according to area residents.
But caution signs still blocked the area around 11:30, causing traffic to drive around the debris.
Joe Leatherman stood with his neighbors and directed traffic as vehicles passed by.
Although thousands of electric customers lost power during the storm, Leatherman’s home was not affected.
“No problems,” he said. “We never lost power.”
Several trees fell in Hilliard.
Two pines and an oak tree were brought down by winds, falling across power lines on the Florida Forest Service’s property, according to senior ranger Jeremy Joseph. The logs were already cut and neatly stacked.
“We’re still assessing our facilities,” he said. “We’ve got trees down on a few of our buildings.”
A tree also fell across a fence at a residence along County Road 108 in the town of Hilliard. A power line across the street from the residence had blown away from the pole. Several streets were laden with debris as residents cleaned yards.
Before Hurricane Matthew hit, emergency officials began preparations. Area schools closed Oct. 6. Twelve-month employees returned Monday. Classes resumed Tuesday.
Based on initial assessments for costs of providing emergency responders during the pre-storm preparation, the storm itself and storm damages to city and county buildings, costs could be $10 million and higher, according to Richardson.