Local emergency operations centers prepare for Colin

As Tropical Storm Colin chugs towards the First Coast, our local emergnecy operations centers are out with some tips to keep you safe during the storm.

Linda Stoughton with the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center is urging everyone to tie down any loose items on your lawn, as well as avoiding roads that are covered with water. The county is giving out sandbags to those people that need them.

During a Facebook Live chat this morning, Duval County Emergency Preparedness Chief Steve Woodard suggests you secure anything around your property that could be tossed around in the wind and clear out any clogged storm drains in your neighborhood so that water has a place to flow.

"People can go to JaxReady.com, that's a great source of checklists and a lot of good tips this time of year that can help people prepare for hurricane season in general", said Woodard.

Scroll below this article to see the full interview.

The city of Jacksonville is working in close contact with JEA and Public Works throughout the duration of the storm.

John Ward with Clay County Emergency Operations says the biggest concern is downed trees, downed power lines, and some flooding in low lying areas.

But he says the Black Creek should not flood, as we saw four years ago from tropical storms.

"Where the creek levels are now, and the amount of rainfall we're gonna get, we will get up into what's considered minor flood stage, which really has no impact in that area", Ward said.

He recommends picking up any loose items in the yard and prepare your disaster supply kit.