TAMPA, Fla. — As Tampa Bay braces for the upcoming storm, evacuation shelters will be open to help residents stay safe. 

View the shelter locations below:

What You Need To Know

Citrus County

Mandatory evacuation: Those living within Evacuation Zone A or any structure countywide not capable of withstanding tropical storm force winds or greater: Takes effect Wednesday, September 25, 2 p.m.

Also, after today's policy meeting at the Emergency Operations Center, the Sheriff's Office has decided to open shelters starting Wednesday, September 25th at 2pm.

Because some of our schools are used as hurricane shelters, this means that all schools will be closed after our scheduled half-day on Wednesday, September 25th.

Many factors are considered when the Emergency Operations Center activates shelters, and our school district plays a vital role in the EOC's response. 

The Special Needs Shelter (SpNS), located at Forest Ridge Elementary School, 2927 N. Forest Ridge Blvd., Hernando, FL 34442, is opened during natural disasters when Citrus County residents are encouraged or ordered to evacuate.

The Special Needs Program identifies a person’s disability, plus the special equipment or specific assistance needed during an evacuation. This includes transportation to a family member’s or friend’s house (within the county) or to the Special Needs Shelter, if you have no other sheltering option.

For more information, call the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County at 352-527-0068.

Pasco County

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners has issued a Local State of Emergency for Pasco County ahead of Tropical Storm Helene.

Mandatory evacuations will go into effect Wednesday, September 25, at 9:00 a.m. for the following:

• Evacuation Zone A

• Everyone living in a manufactured home, mobile home or RV anywhere in Pasco

• Everyone in low-lying areas or areas prone to flooding

• Everyone in an area ordered evacuated by local authorities due to life-safety hazards Voluntary evacuations will go into effect Wednesday, September 25, at 9:00 a.m. for the following:

• Evacuation Zones B and C

• Everyone registered with Pasco as a Special Needs Resident

• Everyone who would be vulnerable in the event of a power loss

Click here to see if you are in an evacuation zone.

Pasco County is also opening shelters Wednesday, September 25 for anyone who needs to leave their home ahead of the storm and has nowhere else to stay. To see a full list of shelters, click here. Pasco County’s Customer Service Center is open until 5 p.m. Tuesday and will be open 24 hours beginning Wednesday at 7 a.m. Call 727.847.2411 or chat with us online at MyPasco.net. Call 911 if you need emergency assistance. Pasco County is posting storm updates on our social media pages and our website: MyPasco.net

In response to the impending storm expected to impact the county on Thursday, Pasco County Emergency Management has requested the use of five schools as emergency shelters. Consequently, the following updates on school closures and activities have been announced:

Wednesday, September 25, 2024:

Schools will open as planned.

All after-school activities and events are canceled for shelter and storm preparation.

ASEP/PLACE activities will continue as usual.

Hernando County

Hernando County Emergency Management continues to monitor Tropical Storm Helene. Mandatory evacuation orders have been announced beginning Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 8am.

Mandatory Evacuations have been issued for all areas west of US 19, which includes evacuation zones A, B, and C. All residents living in coastal and low-lying areas, as well as manufactured homes county wide, are included.

Shelters should be utilized as a last resort. Residents are advised to seek shelter with family or friends that reside in a safe structure. If this is not a possibility, a public shelter will open at 8am on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at the below address.

        West Hernando Middle School

14325 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville, FL 34614

o       Special Needs Clients

o       General Population

o       Pet Friendly

*If you are needing the Special Needs Shelter and have a pet, transportation from either your house or shelter location for your pet is done through Animal Control with Hernando County Sheriff's Office. Please call Hernando County Public Information Center (PIC) at 352-754-4083 to arrange pick up. The PIC is open.

Pet Friendly Shelter Tips

Citizens and their animals are housed in separate sections of the designated shelter(s). If you need to seek shelter with your pet during a declared emergency the following list will help you be prepared:

        Bring your own appropriately sized crate (County resources are limited)

        Bring all your dogs required medications

        Bring several days' worth of your animals' food

        Ensure your dog is current on all vaccinations

        Bring your own leash and collar. Ensure your dog is trained to walk on a leash

        Bring any toys and/or bedding that will make your animal comfortable

        If your animal is fearful or shy, bring sheets to cover the crate while still allowing airflow

        If you bring a crate place something unique on it to distinguish it from others

        Understand that your animal will not be housed in the same section as you; however, you will have access to your animal and are still responsible for their care

        Do not buy different snacks or food for the animal that they are not accustomed to, this will often cause the animals to have digestive issues; particularly when they are already stressed

        If your animal has any propensity to bite animals or humans, please obtain and utilize a muzzle

        Bring spray cleaner, paper towels etc., to be able to clean your animal's crate

Visit www.HernandoCounty.us/EM for tips on what to bring to a shelter and tips for bringing your pet to a pet friendly shelter. Hernando County Government's Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor and inform our community about storm impacts. Visit the following web and social media sites for more information.

        For the latest local conditions and a complete list of news alerts go to www.HernandoCounty.us/EM

        Sign up to receive weather alerts at www.AlertHernando.org

        Follow us on Facebook:

o       @HernandoCountyEM

o       @HernandoCoGov

o       @HernandoCountyFire. 

Manatee County

No announcements yet. 

Hillsborough County

No announcements yet. 

Pinellas County

Evacuations: As of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Pinellas County has only issued mandatory evacuations for healthcare and long-term care facilities located in
Zone A. Residents are urged to continue monitoring the storm at disaster.pinellas.gov and through local news sources.

City of St. Petersburg Closures
- All City facilities will be closed on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and Thursday, Sept. 26, including Sunken Gardens.
- The St. Pete Pier will close at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Patrons should check with individual restaurants for operating hours.
- Residential trash and recycling will not be picked up on Thursday, Sept. 26. Thursday pickups for both residential and recycling will be collected on
Saturday, Sept. 28.
- Please secure all cans when doing storm preparations.
- Brush sites will be open Wednesday, but will be closed Thursday. The City plans on business as usual on Friday, but please check City social media for
real-time updates.
- The Code Enforcement Board Meeting is cancelled for Wednesday, Sept. 25.
- All City Council Meetings and Committee Meetings are cancelled for Thursday, Sept. 26.

In a statement, the county said: "Pinellas County has not yet ordered evacuations for residents. However, we have started mandatory evacuations for our long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and hospitals in Evacuation Zone A. We are coordinating directly with these facilities to make sure our most vulnerable residents have time to relocate to safety in the event we get severe impacts from the storm."

Polk County

Know Your Evacuation Zones:

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