St. Augustine residents say they’re ready to face Hurricane Milton

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — People in St. John’s are gearing up for impacts from Hurricane Milton.

Action News Jax Shanila Kabir spent the day in St. Augustine where residents told her three days out preparations are already underway.

Residents said they got lucky with Helene, but now with Milton officially a hurricane, they are ramping up preparations and expecting more impacts this time around.

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Long-time resident Amarilis Negroni said these back-to-back hurricanes really emphasize the importance of always having supplies ready.

She adds shelves are emptying in the town.

“Paper towels, water, and canned food boxes are gone. A lot of people are going crazy buying stuff,” said Negroni.

Amarilis will evacuate if necessary but trusts her home can weather the storm.

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“I feel safe. I do feel safe there. it’s not the safety that I’m worried about. It’s the supplies that we’re going to need in case the water and electricity goes off,” said Negroni.

St. Johns and Putnam County are expected to see the most intense winds and rains. That includes St Augustine Beach.

Management at Beach Comber, a beachfront restaurant, plans on staying open unless they see the forecast worsen.

“When the bridges close, it’s because of 40 mph winds. I would assume something around that would be what it takes for us to close. Other than that, we are pretty prepared,” said Alex Karayiannis, manager at Beach Comber.

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While the restaurant may plan on being open, management said they will bring all their property inside.

“We will probably make sure everything’s secure. There’s not really much you can do other than just kind of weather it, but we get it enough here, so most people live here used to it,” said Karayiannis.

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