County officials: Zone A residents must evacuate by noon to escape storm surge

County officials: Zone A residents must evacuate by noon to escape storm surge

Pinellas County residents in Evacuation Zone A and mobile homes only have a few hours left to safely evacuate today before storm surge flooding makes roads impassable, stranding people in areas expected to be inundated by this afternoon.

The National Weather Service continues to forecast storm surge levels of 5 to 8 feet later today, enough to easily inundate the first floor of a home or wash away a vehicle. As of 9 a.m., street flooding was already making travel hazardous on barrier islands and other coastal and low-lying areas, and the flooding is forecast to get much worse throughout the day and overnight.

Staying put in a Zone A high-rise condo or hotel is not a safe option as building utility and electrical systems are often on the ground floor and could cause a fire when flooded, Pinellas County Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said.

Perkins and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri pleaded with residents in Evacuation Zone A to leave before noon today during a morning news briefing. Perkins noted the predicted surge is much higher than the County's coastal areas experienced for Hurricane Idalia in 2023, which flooded 1,500 homes. Sheriff Gualtieri spoke to the limitations of rescue operations in high floodwaters, emphasizing that first responders will not be able to reach people during the height of the storm surge.

For those on the barrier islands who need transportation, PSTA will run one final bus north and one bus south along route 555 at 10 a.m. The southbound route will run from Park Street Terminal in Clearwater south to 75th and Gulf in St. Pete Beach. The northbound route will run in the opposite direction.

UBER: Individuals with an Uber account can use code HELENERELIEF to obtain a $40 voucher for up to two trips. To unlock the code: go to "Account", select "Wallet" or "Payment," and then "Add Promo Code" at the end of the page. Perkins noted that drivers may no longer be operating later this morning or afternoon as streets become too dangerous.

Evacuees do not need to leave the area; they merely need to move to higher ground. They are encouraged to stay with family or friends, in a hotel, or in one of six public shelters Pinellas County has opened, including pet-friendly and special needs shelters.

Latest storm/incident developments

• Hurricane Helene has strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds and is expected to continue strengthening before it makes landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida. Pinellas County issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in Zone A and all mobile homes countywide . This includes high-rise buildings in Evacuation Zone A, which will not be a safe place to ride out the storm.
• Pinellas County remains under a Storm Surge Warning, Tropical Storm Warning,Hurricane Watch, Tornado Watch and Flood Watch. Tropical Storm force winds are upon us. The biggest impacts are expected later today, with dangerous storm surge of 5 to 8 feet continuing after the storm exits the area.

Pinellas County response/action

General

• Six shelters are open for residents who need to evacuate and do not have a safe place to stay with family or friends.
• Check your evacuation zone one of these ways:
  • Visit disaster.pinellas.gov
  • Register for emergency alerts through Alert Pinellas
  • Download the Ready Pinellas app.
  • Call the County Information Center (727) 463-4333
  • Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at www.bit.ly/PinellasChat.
• The Emergency Operations Center and County Information Center are open to respond to the storm. Call (727) 464-4333. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at www.bit.ly/PinellasChat.

Emergency Shelters

• Dunedin Highland Middle: 70 Patricia Ave, Dunedin (special needs)
• Gibbs High: 850 34th St S, St. Petersburg (pet friendly)
• John Hopkins Middle: 701 16th St S, St. Petersburg (special needs)
• Largo High: 410 Missouri Ave, Largo (pet friendly)
• Lealman Innovation Academy: 4900 28th St N, Lealman
• Palm Harbor University High - Building 19: 1900 Omaha St, Palm Harbor (special needs, pet friendly and general population)
• Palm Harbor University High - Main Building: 1900 Omaha St, Palm Harbor (pet friendly)
• Advice & Information for Residents
• If you are in Evac Zone A or in a mobile home and you have not evacuated, you need to evacuate to a safe location before noon.

Advice & Information for Residents

• If you are in Evac Zone A or in a mobile home and you have not evacuated, you need to evacuate to a safe location before noon.
• If you can shelter safely outside of the evacuation zones in a hotel or with a friend or family member, please do so.
• Emergency responders will not be able to respond to most calls once sustained winds have reached dangerous speeds or floodwaters become too dangerous.
• If you live in Evacuation Zone A or an area prone to flooding, move your electric vehicles to higher ground now. Electric vehicles, including e-bikes and golf carts with lithium-ion batteries, can create extreme fire hazards when exposed to saltwater. Do NOT leave them in your garage.
• Stay informed: Monitor local news media, National Weather Service, disaster.pinellas.gov, Facebook @PinellasGov, X @PinellasGov, search hashtag #PCHelene. Check for updates regularly as storm forecasts and guidance can change quickly.
• Register for emergency alerts at disaster.pinellas.gov and download the Ready Pinellas app in the App Store or Google Play store for real-time storm updates.