Hurricane Helene update

Emergency management officials expect a storm surge of five to eight feet from Hurricane Helene in the Tampa Bay area. In a Thursday morning update, Pinellas County officials say potentially life-threatening storm surge flooding and flash flooding are possible. Areas of Pinellas are already experiencing tropical storm-force winds that are expected to last 12 hours. Power outages are likely.

Pinellas officials say residents in zone A and mobile homes should evacuate by noon to escape the storm surge. By mid-morning, street flooding had already made travel hazardous on barrier islands and other coastal and low-lying areas, with the flooding forecast to get much worse throughout the day and overnight. In a press release, Pinellas Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins says the projected coastal storm ge is expected to be worse than Idalia, which flooded 1,500 homes last year.

This morning, Pinellas issued this update on mandatory evacuations in zone A along the beaches:

“PSTA will be conducting a final route up and down Gulf Blvd., starting at 10 a.m. to provide an evacuation option - one bus north and one bus south from Clearwater (Park Street Terminal) and St. Pete Beach (75th Ave. and Gulf Blvd.). Evacuations with large parties of people should call the Citizens Information Center for assistance at (727) 464-4333 and PSTA will send a pickup.”
The Pinellas County Information Center (CIC) is currently open. Call (727) 464-4333. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the CIC via online chat at this link.

The City of Tampa’s Emergency Hotline 1 (833) TPA INFO (872-4636) is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday. Yesterday,  the hotline answered more than 100 calls. Tampa also has an online map of flooded streets that is updated as reports are confirmed by the city’s police and mobility departments. Tampa officials are holding a noon press conference to provide a stro update. Signal permitting, it will stream live on the city’s Facebook page.

All of Hillsborough County is under a flood watch. A flood warning is in place for Little
Manatee River at Wimauma for minor flooding from Friday morning until Sunday night, and the Alafia River at U.S. 301 through Friday afternoon, cresting at around 8 feet. The Hillsborough County storm information line (833) HC STORM or (833) 427-8676 is taking calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.