Severe Thunderstorm Warning Hits Jacksonville Area with 60 MPH Gusts
Wind gusts up to 60 mph are battering the Jacksonville metro area and parts of coastal Georgia as the NWS warns of roof, siding, and tree damage.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA — The National Weather Service in Jacksonville issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Tuesday afternoon for a broad area of northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia, alerting residents to expect damaging wind gusts and potential structural damage through 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Radar-indicated severe thunderstorms moving east at 30 mph prompted the alert, which covers Duval County, north central St. Johns County, central Nassau County in northeastern Florida, and south central Camden County in southeastern Georgia.
Storm Path and Timing
At 4:58 p.m. EDT, the NWS detected severe thunderstorms along a line extending from 7 miles southeast of Kings Ferry to near Cisco Gardens. The storms were tracking eastward at 30 mph at the time of the warning.
An earlier warning issued at 4:56 p.m. EDT — expiring at 5:15 p.m. EDT — flagged a severe thunderstorm near Hilliard moving east at 25 mph, also carrying 60 mph wind gusts. That warning specifically identified Hilliard and Kings Ferry as impacted locations.
Areas Under Warning
The broader 5:30 p.m. warning covers the following locations: Jacksonville, St. Marys, Fernandina Beach, Callahan, Jacksonville International Airport, UNF, Arlington, Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Atlantic Beach.
The NWS listed the primary hazard as wind gusts reaching 60 mph, detected via radar. Forecasters warned that residents should expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees across all affected areas.
What Residents Should Expect
Authorities urge people in the warned areas to seek shelter in a sturdy building away from windows and to stay off roads until the storms pass. Downed trees and debris can make travel hazardous during and immediately after a severe thunderstorm event of this magnitude.
Both warnings were issued by the National Weather Service Jacksonville office. Residents are encouraged to monitor local alerts as conditions may change rapidly given the storms’ eastward movement.
