City of St. Petersburg, FL

09/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2024 12:05

Update #6: City Continues to Monitor Hurricane Helene, Pinellas County Orders Mandatory Evacuations for Zone A

Update #6: City of St. Petersburg Continues to Monitor Hurricane Helene, Pinellas County Orders Mandatory Evacuations for Zone A

PLEASE NOTE: Mayor Kenneth T. Welch will hold a press conference to provide an update on Hurricane Helene at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the St. Pete Emergency Operations Center, located at the St. Pete Police Department (1301 1st Ave. N). The press conference will be streamed live on the City's Facebook page.

September 25, 2024 - The City of St. Petersburg is currently monitoring Hurricane Helene and preparing for potential impacts to St. Pete. The City is encouraging residents to make preparations and heed all orders from Pinellas County.

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch held a press conference this morning at 11:30 a.m. Here's a recap:

Latest Storm/Incident Developments

  • Pinellas County remains under a Storm Surge Warning, Tropical Storm Warning,Hurricane Watch and Flood Watch.

  • High winds are expected throughout St. Pete starting this evening.

  • The biggest impacts are expected on Thursday, Sept. 26, with dangerous storm surge impacts continuing after the storm exits the area.

Pinellas County Evacuation Orders that Impact St. Petersburg

  • Pinellas County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in Zone A and all mobile homes countywide forHurricane Helene.

  • The order took effect at 9 a.m. today, Wednesday, Sept. 25, and includes high-rise buildings in Evacuation Zone A.

  • The County has opened two shelters in St. Petersburg, including shelters that can accommodate pets and people with special medical needs.

Emergency Shelter Information:

If you can shelter safely outside of the evacuation zones, either at home, in a hotel, or with a friend or family member, please do so. Hotel accommodation information can be found at visitstpeteclearwater.com/info/pre-storm-information.

The following shelters are open in St. Pete:

  • Gibbs High: 850 34th St. S (pet friendly)

  • John Hopkins Middle: 701 16th St. S (special needs)

What residents should be doing

Limiting Water Usage: Please begin reducing your water usage starting on Thursday and Friday. Do your laundry, run the dishwasher, etc., today, Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Parking Tip: The South Core parking garage, located at 101 1st Ave. S, will be open for anyone interested in a safe place to park their vehicle. The cost is $20 from Wednesday to Saturday; once full, it will be closed.

Sandbag Operations: Find more information here: stpete.org/sandbags.

Electrical safety: If you evacuate, please turn the main breaker off in your house to prevent potential electrical fires.

Prepare your electric vehicles:

  • Maintain your battery at 100% state of charge.

  • If you are leaving your EV behind to evacuate, park out of flood-prone areas and at least 50 feet away from any structure or other vehicles, do not leave your EV plugged into a charger.

Secure your boats:

  • Secure or remove all moveable equipment, including sails, dinghies, tillers, etc.

  • Take your boat out of the water if possible and trap your boat securely to your trailer and move it outside of the area.

  • If you are unable to take your boat out of the water, secure your boat in a protected and stable location.

Take care of your pets:

Stay informed:

  • Sign up for Alert St. Pete at www.pinellas.gov/alert. View the latest storm information from the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov

  • Follow @StPeteFL on social media channels for storm updates specific to St. Pete.

Visit www.stpete.org/hurricane for resources and information before and after a storm.