Update: Idalia Evacuation Shelters Open In Pinellas; Schools Close

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — As of Monday afternoon, 320,000 Pinellas County residents are under a mandatory evacuation order as Tropical Storm Idalia makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico with its eye on the Florida west coast.

Pinellas County Director of Emergency Management Cathie Perkins said the county's emergency operations center is under partial evacuation, and public schools are being transformed into hurricane shelters in anticipation of Idalia becoming a major hurricane by Tuesday night.

"We are very concerned here," said Perkins. "We could see 4 to 7 feet of storm surge."

That's far greater than the storm surge that pounded Pinellas County during Hurricane Ida in 2021, flooding more than 1,000 homes even though Ida made landfall in Louisiana, she said.

"We need everyone to take this seriously," she said. "The National Hurricane Center said it will continue to build in intensity and, by the time it passes Pinellas County in the Gulf of Mexico, we could have 115 mph winds on the barrier islands. This is going to be a Category 3 hurricane, a major storm, right off the coast of Pinellas County."

As such, Pinellas County has declared a state of emergency and issued a mandatory evacuation for 7 p.m. Monday night for all residents in Zone A, which includes the barrier islands.

Those living on one of the barrier islands will need to obtain a barrier island pass from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office by clicking here. Two passes are permitted per address.

Only residential owners or renters can receive a Barrier Island Re-Entry Permit to return home after the hurricane has passed. This is being done to protect residents from looters and other unauthorized personnel from accessing the islands.

The barrier islands include Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach, Tierra Verde and Treasure Island.

Pinellas County has also declared a mandatory evacuation for all people living in mobile homes in Zones A and B and all residential health care facilities located in Zones A and B. The evacuation of the health care facilities began at 1 p.m. Monday. Click here to find your evacuation zone.

The special needs shelter is located at John Hopkins Middle School, 701 16th St. S., St. Petersburg, for anyone who can arrange his or her own transportation.

More shelters opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and some are pet-friendly.

Campbell Park Elementary School, 1051 7th Ave. S, St. Petersburg

Carwise Middle School, 3301 Bentley Drive, Palm Harbor

Dunedin Highland Middle School (special needs), 70 Patricia Ave., Dunedin

Gibbs High School (pets), 850 34th St. S, St. Petersburg

Largo High School (pets), 410 Missouri Ave., Largo

Lealman Innovation Academy, 4900 28th St. N, Lealman

New Heights Elementary School, 3901 37th St. N, St. Petersburg

Palm Harbor Middle School, 1800 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor

Palm Harbor University High School (special needs and pets), 1900 Omaha St., Palm Harbor

Residents can use the Know Your Zone map to find the closest open shelter to their address and their evacuation zone.

If you need help with transportation or have other special medical needs, register now by calling the County Information Center at 727-464-4333.

While Pinellas will use public schools as shelters for those with nowhere else to go, Perkins advised residents to make plans to stay with friends or relatives outside the evacuation zones or check in to a hotel outside the evacuation area. Many hotels will provide discounts for evacuees, she said.

Because of the need for shelters, classes are canceled on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, all sports and school activities are canceled for both days.

Some cities and towns in Pinellas County have already opened self-service sandbag sites for residents in flood zones to place around their homes.

Most cities are limiting the number of sandbags each resident receives and requires the resident to show a water bill or valid driver's license to receive their sandbags. Staff will be onsite to assist them. Contact your city government for more informaiton.

Residents can find more information on the Pinellas County website or by signing up for Alert Pinellas.

The Pinellas County Information Center is open for preparedness questions and special needs registration Monday until 8 p.m. Call 727-464-4333.

Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the CIC via online chat.