Hurricane Idalia: Hillsborough Under Evacuation Orders, Schools Closed

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise signed an executive order declaring a state of local emergency with the approach of Hurricane Idalia.

Kevin Guthrie, emergency manager for the state, said forecasters are predicting Idalia will make landfall as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane in the Big Bend area near the Florida Panhandle.

Tampa Bay is expected to experience storm surge of 4 to 7 feet as Idalia makes her way to Florida's west coast, prompting the National Hurricane Center to place Tampa, Westchase and the coasts along Apollo Beach, Ruskin and Gibsonton under a hurricane watch.

To help residents prepare, Hillsborough County is making sandbags available to the public from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Sandbags will be available at the following locations:

• Edward Medard Conservation Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Road, Plant City,
• E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave. NW, Ruskin
• Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Drive, Tampa
• Larry Sanders Sports Complex, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa.

Hillsborough County residents are eligible for a maximum of 10 sandbags per family. Residents must show an ID verifying they live in the county. A driver's license or utility bill will serve as proper identification.

Edward Medard Conservation Park and E.G. Simmons Conservation Park will be closed to the public during sandbag operations.

The state of local emergency order is in effect through Sept. 3. A state of local emergency can be in effect for only seven days, unless rescinded or extended. The emergency declaration gives the county administrator and emergency managers the ability to quickly take certain actions to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community, and provides a path for federal reimbursement of certain expenses.

As of now, Hillsborough County has not issued voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders.

Public Schools To Close

All Hillsborough County Public Schools and district offices will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30. All after-school programs and extracurricular activities are also canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The latest forecast brings Idalia up the west coast of Florida with storm surge and heavy rains expected to impact Hillsborough County by Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday. With that in mind, county emergency officials have made the decision to activate some of its schools as storm shelters to house evacuees in flood zones.

At this point, it is anticipated that schools will reopen and resume normal operations on Thursday, Aug. 31.

For more information on any other potential emergency in the county, click here and sign up for the HCFL Alert system. Additionally, residents can follow Hillsborough County on social media.

Residents without digital access are encouraged to call 833-HC STORM or 833-427-8676, the county's storm information line, or visit this website. The storm information line is now open.

County Facilities To Close

In response to Hurricane Idalia, Hillsborough County is closing all public services to allow county employees to perform their assigned emergency response duties. Additionally, county facilities located in Evacuation Zone A, including the Frederick B. Karl County Center in downtown Tampa, will be closed all day Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30. All county public meetings have also been cancelled.

Parks & Recreation will close all sites to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday, including all programming and after-school care.

All Hillsborough County Public Libraries and book returns are currently closed so library staff can serve on Hillsborough County’s emergency operations team in response to Hurricane Idalia.

Residents can renew books online through HCPLC.org. The library is fine-free, enabling residents to return items after the storm.

The Pet Resource Center closed intakes on Monday and will remain closed until the storm passes.

Animal control staff is responding to emergencies only, which include sick, injured and overly aggressive animals.

Trash, recycling and yard waste collections will continue as normal on Tuesday, Aug. 29. However, there will be no trash, recycling or yard waste collections on Wednesday, Aug. 30. There will be no collection makeup day. Services will be provided on the next scheduled collection day.

All Solid Waste facilities will be closed on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Helpful Information

• Stay Safe - Emergency-related news and information from Hillsborough County.
• HCFL Alert - Stay informed with Hillsborough County’s official mass notification system.
• Hurricane Preparation - Use these resources to help prepare you and your family.
• Hurricane Preparedness for Kids Coloring Book - An educational coloring book for kids in English and Spanish.
• Storm Anxiety - Understanding what causes a storm can ease your child’s anxiety.