Hurricane Ian: St. Pete Dodges Brunt Of Storm; 172K Without Power

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — As Floridians step out to assess the damage left behind by Hurricane Ian, St. Pete was spared the worst from a storm that ranks among the top five strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States.

In a preliminary damage report, St. Pete city officials said the city "did not appear to have suffered significant damage." The city fielded reports of numerous downed trees and power lines, and officials said teams will head out Thursday morning to remove debris from main roadways.

Residents should stay off the roads as crews work to remove downed trees and power lines, city officials said.

• Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

Ian slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane packing 150 mph winds, tying it as the fifth-strongest hurricane, when measured by wind speed, ever to strike the United States, according to The Associated Press.

Ian’s center came ashore more than 100 miles south of St. Petersburg and Tampa, sparing the densely populated area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Authorities have confirmed at least one death, a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told The AP.

Nearly 172,000 people — or 30 percent of residents and businesses — remain without power in Pinellas County, according to PowerOutage.US.

In Thursday's report, city officials said dozens of traffic signals are out throughout the city. Crews are delivering generators and stop signs to affected intersections, and police officers will be on hand to monitor traffic if needed.

Other Thursday updates from the city include:

• Police services have also returned to normal.
• First responders were also called to a house fire in the 100 block of 7th Avenue Northeast on Wednesday night. The cause appeared to be electrical, officials said. No injuries were reported.
• A tree also caught fire from a downed power line but was contained, city officials said.

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority said all public transportation remains closed Thursday. Officials said partial service should be restored by Saturday with normal operations resuming Sunday.

City Closures, Cancellations

The city of St. Petersburg will be closed for normal business operations for the rest of the week through Friday.

Thursday’s St. Petersburg City Council meeting has been canceled.

The millage rate and budget meeting scheduled for that day has been rescheduled for Oct. 6, 6 p.m., at city hall.

Sunken Gardens will be closed until further notice.

Bayfront Health St. Petersburg’s emergency room in Pinellas Park closed Tuesday at 5 p.m. All elective surgeries and procedures scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at all Bayfront Health St. Petersburg facilities have been canceled.

The HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital closed Tuesday, while other locations, including St. Petersburg, remain open.

The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System has closed its C.W.Y VA Medical Center, including the emergency department, through Friday, as well as St. Petersburg clinics.

The Bay Pines’ St. Petersburg regional office is closed for face-to-face appointments and no visitations are allowed at Bay Pines National Cemetery and services will resume Monday.