St. Johns County to give 12K free sandbags to residents

In an effort to prepare residents for hurricane season before storms arrive, St. Johns County will give away 12,000 pre-made sandbags from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 31.

The bags will be available at the following six locations throughout the county:

• Mills Field, 1805 Racetrack Road, St. Johns

• Palm Valley Bridge, under the bridge on the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway

• North Beach Park, 3721 Coastal Highway, Vilano Beach

• Solomon Calhoun Community Center, 1300 Duval St., St. Augustine

• St. Johns County Equestrian Center, 8200 Smith Road, Hastings

• Windswept Acres Park, 5335 S.R. A1A S., St. Augustine

County residents must provide proof of residency with an ID or mailing letter. There will be a limit of 12 sandbags per car. For reference, each sandbag weighs approximately 30 pounds.

St. Johns County recently invested in a new sandbag-making machine, which allows the Public Works Road and Bridge Division to provide this service to residents. This will aid in the county's efforts to prepare residents before storms approach.

Those looking for more resources to prepare for hurricane season can go to the county website, sjcfl.us/departments/emergency-mgmt, to download the 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow St. Johns County Emergency Management on Facebook and X for the latest updates.