Disaster Declaration Approved for Florida's First Coast Amid Record Flooding From Irma

As Tropical Storm Irma's flooding rainfall and storm surge inundated parts of Florida's First Coast Monday, President Donald Trump extended his major disaster declaration to include the impacted counties. 

Under the declaration, individual assistance is made available for Duval, Clay, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, News4Jax.com reports. 

On Monday, Jacksonville authorities had a simple and clear message for those near flooded waterways: get out.

"ATTENTION: Evacuation Zones A/B along the river. Get out NOW," wrote the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Twitter.

With more than 26 river gauges in major flood stage across northern Florida – and Jacksonville's St. Johns River reaching its highest level ever – the storm's impacts were far from over in the region.

"This is potentially a week-long event," Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Monday.

One person died in St. Johns County Monday morning, the county's sheriff's office said; he was an elderly man who died of a heart attack while he and his wife tried to protect themselves from the storm, WTLV-TV reported. Another person died in Winter Park when he was electrocuted by a downed power line, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He was identified as 51-year-old Brian Buwalda, the report added.

(MORE: Millions Lose Power Across Florida in Irma's Wake)

Clay County emergency operations manager John Ward said dozens of people were rescued early Monday from their homes as floodwaters rose, and many others were stranded.

Those who needed help evacuating were told to "put a white flag in front of your house. A t-shirt, anything white," the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office posted on its Facebook page.

The city of St. Augustine was closed Monday morning, the city's police department announced. The city's roads were scattered with downed power lines, making travel difficult – even for authorities.

One hotel in St. Augustine where dozens of evacuees were sheltering from the storm lost its roof because of the strong winds, ABC News 4 reported. The report did not say if there were any injuries.

Although Irma's center moved up the western end of the Florida Peninsula, the state's east coast was far from spared. The large storm left flooding and damage everywhere from Miami up to the Georgia state line, and at least 6 million were in the dark on Monday.

'The Streets Are Empty'

A day after heavy rainfall and storm surge flooding swamped numerous roads, Miami's residents surveyed the damage and noticed how deserted parts of the city looked.

"The streets are empty," Carlos Castillo told the Miami Herald. "It's a very strange, beautiful Miami."

In Miami Beach, the damage was widespread. Trees crashed down as the storm's strong winds buffeted the island, and residents know they have a lengthy cleanup ahead.

"This whole street was massacred," Yohann Bagat told the Herald.

Officials said thousands of trees were downed by the hurricane, and they needed residents to keep from driving around to look at the damage so they could continue to clear the roads.

"The biggest thing we want our residents to understand is that it’s still dangerous to be out on the streets," City Manager Daniel Alfonso told the Herald. "It’s best not to have people driving around looking at what’s happening."

Key Biscayne remained closed to all residents Monday morning.