Pinellas County opens new shelters as more residents evacuate for Hurricane Milton

Pinellas County opens new shelters as more residents evacuate for Hurricane Milton

In a media briefing this afternoon, Pinellas County officials urged residents in Evacuation Zones A, B, C and mobile homes, as well as residents with special medical needs, to evacuate now if they have not already. The mandatory evacuation order applies to more than 500,000 Pinellas County residents.

The County announced the opening of two more emergency shelters as of 3:30 p.m. at Melrose Elementary at 1752 13th Ave. South in St. Petersburg and Belleair Elementary at 1156 Lakeview Road in Clearwater, bringing the total to 10 emergency shelters. Special needs and pet-friendly shelters are available. The complete shelter list can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov. More than 5,000 people are currently in shelters in Pinellas County.

The National Hurricane Center is currently forecasting 10 to 15 feet of storm surge for Pinellas County between Wednesday and Thursday, which "is unimaginable for our coastal communities and not survivable," said Pinellas County Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins.

The storm is also expected to bring 5 to 12 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of up 18 inches. Grounds are already saturated, which is likely to lead to downed trees. Inland flooding of low-lying areas outside the evacuation zone is also likely, especially in places that flooded during Tropical Storm Debby.

"Some of us may have had it in the backs of our minds that it's going to turn or it's going to miss us," Perkins said. "Whether it's a direct hit or it moves slightly, we are going to get hit, and it's going to be hard."

In addition to more storm surge, Hurricane Milton is forecast to bring the strongest winds Pinellas County has seen in more than 100 years, much stronger than Hurricane Helene. These winds especially pose a risk to mobile home residents. The community center in a mobile home park may not be a safe place to stay.

Additional updates:

• Residents who live around Lake Tarpon are at risk for flooding. The Southwest Water Management District has released as much water out of Lake Tarpon as possible. Storm surge will enter the lake and cause severe flooding all around the lake and the Tarpon Outfall Canal. If you live around Lake Seminole, you could also experience storm surge flooding.
• Access to barrier islands will be closed to everyone at 7 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 8.
• Pinellas County Utilities will restrict potable water service on the barrier islands beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from Sand Key south to Fort De Soto due to Hurricane Milton. Customers will experience very low pressure after this time.
• Pinellas County's Special Needs Evacuation Program will stop taking new registrants at 4 p.m. today. To register for the Special Needs Evacuation Program, call the County Information Center at (727) 464-4333 before 4 p.m.
• PSTA will continue to provide free rides to shelters on the Pinellas mainland until 7 p.m. Pets are allowed on the bus: cats and small dogs in a crate; large dogs on a muzzle leash. For the latest information on PSTA bus service, call the InfoLine at (727) 540-1900.
• The State of Florida is also offering free shuttles to shelters. Reservations are not required. Times and locations can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/Updates (see "Evacuation Assistance"). Call 800-729-3413 for more information.
• Residents with questions or concerns can call our County Information Center at 727-464-4333 (open 24/7).