The City of AB's Role and Regional Collaboration

The City of Atlantic Beach, in conjunction with the City of Jacksonville, is actively engaged in comprehensive hurricane preparedness efforts. This multi-faceted approach encompasses City-level strategies, encouragement of individual and family readiness, and robust regional collaboration through various exercises and “roundtable” discussions. The City combines proactive emergency management and financial recovery measures with comprehensive individual and community preparedness strategies.

City-Level Preparedness and Response in Atlantic Beach:

• Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (F-ROC) System: Atlantic Beach is leveraging the F-ROC system, an initiative by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to standardize, streamline, and simplify the Public Assistance process for disaster cost recovery. This aims to protect the city's financial stability by increasing cost recovery and reducing denials of funding. F-ROC preparation entails standardized documentation and proactive risk management.
• Training: City departments critical to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery undergo in-depth training on processes like F-ROC to enhance their ability to efficiently and accurately recover disaster-related costs.
• Communication Systems: The City of Atlantic Beach and the City of Jacksonville utilize various communications platforms (like websites, email blasts, social media, and the AlertJax and SaferWatch apps) to provide critical information year-round, in addition to real-time notifications on debris collection, road closures, power outages, and other emergency announcements.
• Public Safety Communication Command Center: Atlantic Beach operates a state-of-the-art public safety communication command center.
• Damage Assessment and Recovery: After a storm, residents are advised to assess and report damage safely, follow official “all clear” orders, avoid floodwaters, and document damage for insurance claims. The F-ROC system plays a crucial role in streamlining the financial recovery aspect.
• Power Restoration: JEA (the local utility) provides information on their power restoration process and emphasizes safety during power outages, including safe generator use.

Individual and Family Preparedness Promotion in Atlantic Beach:

• Staying Informed: The City of Atlantic Beach offers various resources and tips on hurricane preparedness, including what to do before, during, and after a hurricane, as well as information on the safe use of portable generators. The City emphasizes the importance of monitoring NOAA Weather Radio, signing up for local emergency alerts, and following official social media channels. 
• Emergency Plans: The City encourages residents to create family emergency plans, including assigning responsibilities, identifying meeting places (both within and outside the local area), and establishing an out-of-town contact.
• Emergency Kits: The City of Atlantic Beach promotes the assembly of emergency supplies for both “Go-Kits (3 days of supplies for evacuation) and “stay-at-Home Kits” (two weeks of supplies for sheltering in place). These kits should include water, non-perishable food, medications, and essential tools.
• Home Hardening: Residents are advised on securing their homes by protecting windows (shutters or plywood), trimming trees, cleaning gutters, and bracing garage doors.
• Evacuation Planning: Residents are guided to identify their evacuation zones (Atlantic Beach is in Zones A and B, which are particularly subject to requiring evacuation due to being on a barrier island), plan evacuation routes, and register for special medical needs assistance if applicable. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority also provides free transportation to public shelters for those who cannot evacuate themselves.
• Special Medical Needs Registry: The Consolidated City of Jacksonville, as part of a state initiative, has a registry designed to assist at-risk individuals during hurricanes and other emergencies. Families and individuals interested in this service may call (904) 255-3172 or visiting snr.flhealthresponse.com) will also connect you.
• Pet Preparedness: Residents are reminded to include pets in their evacuation plans and emergency kits, noting that pet-friendly shelters require kennels and separate sheltering areas for pets.

Regional Hurricane Preparedness Exercises and Collaboration:

Jacksonville and the surrounding Northeast Florida region are highly engaged in hurricane preparedness, including various exercises and “roundtable” discussions to ensure coordination and readiness among different agencies and the community. These exercises and discussions are vital for Atlantic Beach and the entire Jacksonville area, coastal communities highly susceptible to hurricanes. They help ensure that various entities – from the military and utility companies to local government and individual citizens – are prepared to respond effectively to a major storm, continually refining their plans based on lessons learned from past events and simulations.

• Jacksonville and Beaches Regional Hurricane Tabletop Exercise: This is an annual event designed to enhance preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for hurricane incidents in the Jacksonville area.
• Annual Hurricane Exercises (HURREX and Citadel Gale): The U.S. Navy, in conjunction with other governmental agencies and local authorities, conducts annual Hurricane Exercise (HURREX) and Citadel Gale exercises in mid-spring. These exercises simulate a hurricane threatening the East Coast or Gulf Coast regions.
• JEA's Mock Hurricane Exercises: Jacksonville's utility provider, JEA, conducts its own multi-day mock hurricane exercises. These are crucial for evaluating their ability to restore power and water services, especially in scenarios where communication infrastructure (like cell towers) might be down and bridges are closed. They focus on internal communication, resource repositioning, and identifying potential breakdowns in their response plans.
• NOAA SECART All-Hazards Exercise: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also conducts all-hazards exercises, such as the 2024 NOAA SECART All-Hazards Exercise: Hurricane Ken, which involved Jacksonville agencies
• Community-Wide Preparedness: Beyond the formal exercises, there's a strong emphasis on community preparedness.
  1. Events like the Jax Ready Festival are held annually (e.g., April 2025) to provide the community with an inside look at first responder challenges, showcase resources, and offer practical tips for families.
  2. Organizations like Florida Blue and the JaxReady Emergency Preparedness Division host hurricane preparedness events, offering practical tips for building a "go-kit" and making a family plan.
  3. The City of Jacksonville’s Chief Resiliency Officer works with FEMA's pre-disaster mitigation programs and partners with JTA for transportation assistance. They also encourage vulnerable individuals to sign up for a special needs registry for evacuation or shelter assistance.