Clearwater, Fla. (BLOOM) – In preparation for Hurricane Milton, Pinellas County has opened six emergency shelters as of noon today, Oct. 7. The county has also issued mandatory evacuation orders for special needs residents in evacuation zones A, B, and C. These actions come as the dangerous hurricane is expected to make landfall on Florida’s central-west coast by Wednesday.
The shelters include:
- Largo High School (pet friendly), 410 Missouri Ave. N., Largo
- Gibbs High School (pet friendly), 850 34th St. S., St. Petersburg
- Palm Harbor University High School (pet friendly), 1900 Omaha St., Palm Harbor
- Palm Harbor University High School Bldg. 19 (special needs), 1900 Omaha St., Palm Harbor
- Dunedin Highland Middle School (special needs), 70 Patricia Ave., Dunedin
- Oak Grove Middle School (special needs), 1370 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater
Residents requiring assistance, including those with special needs who have not pre-registered, can call the County Information Center at (727) 464-4333. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, support is available via online chat at bit.ly/PinellasChat.
Mandatory Evacuations for Special Needs Residents
Pinellas County urges special needs residents in zones D and E to evacuate as a precaution due to the potential for extended power and water outages. Residents in zones A, B, C, and those living in mobile homes are also advised to evacuate to safer, higher ground as storm surge and high winds threaten the area.
County officials stress that residents do not need to travel far to evacuate. They encourage those leaving their homes to stay with family or friends outside evacuation zones or utilize emergency shelters.
State of Local Emergency Extended
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners extended the State of Local Emergency for seven days, granting County Administrator Barry A. Burton authority to quickly allocate resources for public safety. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has been designated as the county’s chief law enforcement officer during this time.
Pinellas County’s Hurricane Milton Response
The county has taken several actions in preparation for Hurricane Milton:
- The Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Facility is open 24/7 to accept storm debris.
- Sandbag sites are open today until 5 p.m. at John Chesnut Sr. Park and Walsingham Park.
- County offices, including the Clerk’s Office and Property Appraiser, are closed until Wednesday. However, the Supervisor of Elections Office remains open for voter registration.
Residents are encouraged to stay informed by signing up for Alert Pinellas and downloading the Ready Pinellas app for real-time updates.
