Hurricane Irma: Dunedin Declares State Of Emergency

DUNEDIN, FL – The City of Dunedin declared a local state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Irma and its potential threat to its residents and property.

The executive order from City Manager Jennifer Bramley was ratified by the Dunedin City Commission on Thursday, Sept. 7. This followed Pinellas County’s declaration of a local state of emergency earlier in the day.

The following City of Dunedin services have been adjusted ahead of Hurricane Irma:

• All city facilities will be closed on Friday, Sept. 8.
• The Dunedin Public Library and recreation centers will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All of the library’s and Parks and Recreation’s scheduled events have been cancelled or may be rescheduled.
• The City Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 7 was postponed to Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. The rescheduled date will include all public hearings on the original agenda.
• The City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. to update negotiations with the Toronto Blue Jays will be rescheduled to a future date.
• Solid Waste pickup scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12.
• Parking fees will be waived in downtown Dunedin starting on Friday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 11.
• Other closures for Monday, Sept. 11 will depend on Hurricane Irma’s path.

The city’s sandbag locations, which are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice, are:

• Highlander Park, just west of the Fine Arts Center on Michigan Boulevard
• 1910 Ed Eckert Drive, about a half block west of the Highlander Park site

Dunedin will provide sandbags, sand and shovels. Residents will be required to show proof of residency in the Dunedin city limits. There is a limit of 20 sandbags per household. Residents can keep the used sandbags or return them to the site.

Dunedin’s emergency shelter is located at Dunedin Highland Middle School, 70 Patricia Ave. This is a special needs and pet-friendly shelter.

The Pinellas County state of emergency’s order includes:

• Mandatory evacuations of all of Zone A beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8
• All mobile home parks
• Zone A special needs transportation began on Thursday, Sept. 7
• Additional evacuations up to Level C may be ordered on Saturday, Sept. 10
• Residents in Levels B and C may leave at their discretion prior to mandatory evacuation orders

Evacuation notices will be announced via Alert Pinellas, ReadyPinellas, CodeRed, www.dunedingov.com, www.pinellascounty.org, social media and local media. Emergency shelter openings will also be announced through these same channels.

Image via City of Dunedin Florida – Government Facebook page