TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — This page has been archived and will no longer be updated. Click here for the latest updates on Pinellas County evacuations.
Pinellas County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for Zone A and all mobile homes on Wednesday.
The mandatory evacuation, announced during a briefing, took effect immediately.
St. Pete Mayor Kenneth Welch held a press conference Wednesday morning to provide an update on Hurricane Helene, which can be viewed in the video player above.
Mayor Welch said five to eight feet of storm surge is expected in the county.
Those who are evacuating are encouraged to shut off their main power breaker to prevent possible house fires while residents are away from their homes.
Mayor Welch said the county has six emergency shelters for those needing to evacuate, including two in St. Pete.
- John Hopkins Middle School, 701 16th Street South in St. Pete (special needs)
- Gibbs High School, 850 34th Street South in St. Pete (pet friendly)
- Dunedin Middle School, 70 Patricia Avenue in Dunedin (special needs)
- Largo High School, 410 Missouri Avenue in Largo (pet friendly)
- Lealman Innovation, 4900 28th Street North in Lealman (general shelter)
- Palm Harbor University High School, 1900 Omaha Street in Palm Harbor (special needs and pet friendly)
“There is no reason to stay home if you need to evacuate,” the mayor said.
Mayor Welch encourages residents to run dishwashers and washing machines today in order to limit water usage as the storm approaches.
“No two storms are the same,” Emergency Management Manager Amber Boulding said.
She added that if residents experienced flooding with Hurricane Idalia, they should expect flooding with this storm.
“You don’t have to leave the state, but we just need to get you to higher ground,” Boulding said.
Pinellas County residents can find their evacuation zone here.
To reach the Pinellas County information line, call 727-464-4333. Additional emergency information ahead of Hurricane Helene can be found on Pinellas County’s website.
