St. Johns Emergency Management (SJCEM) continues to encourage residents and businesses to prepare for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs through Nov. 30. On July 10, Deputy Director of Emergency Management Kelly Wilson was the featured speaker at the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce’s “Joint Chamber at Noon with JAX Chamber: Hurricane Prep for Businesses” event.

The County is working with an engineering firm to complete the project's permitting, engineering, and design work. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in late 2025/early 2026.

This project is currently on pause due to a new USACE requirement for 100% perpetual easements and waivers for property owners within the project area. Please visit the project website for additional details.

Vehicles can access the beach at the following locations, barring closures:

• A Street
• Ocean Trace
• Dondanville
• Matanzas Avenue
• Mary Street
• Crescent Beach
• Porpoise Point

• Vehicular traffic must remain in the designated driving lanes as identified by cones.
• Parking is allowed on the west side of the driving lane between the cones and the dune.
• The maximum vehicular speed allowed on the beach is 10 mph.
• All vehicles are required to stop at all beach ramps and yield to all pedestrians.
• Soft sand conditions may exist, and only 4WD vehicles may be allowed on some beaches. 

Beach driving conditions are expected to change throughout the day at each access ramp.

Watch Coastal Environment Project Manager Sloane Stephens explain the importance of dunes to St. Johns County beaches and what we're doing to protect them.

As a reminder, Florida state law requires that everyone stay off the dunes. Beachgoers must follow the designated dune-crossing areas at all times.

Significant damage has been caused to freshly planted sea oats on numerous dunes by beachgoers walking or sitting in protected areas. To protect our beaches, the newly planted sea oats need time to grow and establish a robust root system.

Beach visitors can have a positive impact on nesting sea turtles by taking the following actions while enjoying the beach:

• Do not use fireworks or build open fires.
• Remove ruts and sand castles at the end of your beach day.
• Do not leave beach chairs or canopies on the beach overnight.
• Flashlights can harm sea turtles and are strongly discouraged.
• Avoid entering dunes and conservation zones (15 feet seaward of the dune line).
• Do not release balloons, which can fall into the ocean and harm marine life.
• Never approach sea turtles emerging from or returning to the sea. Nesting sea turtles are vulnerable and timid and can be easily frightened away.

St. Johns County staff will close the gates at 7:30 p.m. and reopen them at 8 a.m. to ensure nesting sea turtles have a safe beach throughout the night.

Never push an injured animal back into the ocean. If you encounter an injured, sick, or deceased sea turtle, please call the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at (904) 824-8304. Leave only your footprints, providing the turtles with a safe and clean habitat to nest and hatch. St. Johns County is grateful to volunteers, residents, visitors, and businesses for supporting habitat conservation efforts and keeping our beaches beautiful. For more information, please call St. Johns County Habitat Conservation and Beach Management at (904) 209-3740.

Watch Live

Tuesday, July 22, 9 a.m.

500 San Sebastian View

St. Augustine, FL 32084

The St. Johns County Beach Services Department is excited to announce that beach information can now be found in the SJC Connect App, providing a seamless experience for accessing comprehensive beach information; the former "Reach the Beach" app is no longer available.