Sheriff's office hopes rescued people "will take evacuation orders seriously" in future
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Florida sheriff's officials said on Twitter that 356 people were rescued from flooding on Monday as Hurricane Irma moved over Jacksonville.
And they tweeted some advice for them: "We hope the 356 people who had their lives saved yesterday will take evacuation orders seriously in the future."
We hope the 356 people who had their lives saved yesterday will take evacuation orders more seriously in the future. #Irma #HurricaneIrma
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) September 12, 2017
Sheriff's officials also said that all bridges leading into downtown Jacksonville have reopened.
They noted that many roads were still blocked or flooded Tuesday morning and motorists were urged to treat intersections without working red lights as four-way stops.
Irma caused some of Jacksonville's worst flooding in more than 150 years. Water from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean rose into the downtown area and several neighborhoods.
The city's mayor said things could get worse because floodwaters were expected to rise and fall gradually over the next several days, CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan reports.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said mandatory evacuations were ordered on Friday.
"There were some that didn't evacuate in certain areas and in areas along the river," Curry said. "Combine that with the fact that we have had historic, unprecedented storm surge."
Emergency crews, including the Coast Guard and local firefighters, have combed through neighborhoods looking for people trapped by rising waters.