Hurricane Ian: St. Pete Sewage, Water Reduction, Evacuations

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing with it 155 mph winds as Pinellas County officials urged residents to continue sheltering in place.

"Breaks in the weather do not mean the storm has passed," the county posted in a Wednesday update. "The County will announce when shelter in place and evacuation orders are lifted.

Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, about 20 miles south of Fort Myers, at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday. Winds up to 110 mph, storm surge, and heavy rain are possible in Pinellas County through Thursday morning, according to county officials.

More than 1.5 million Florida homes and businesses were without power Wednesday evening and the number keeps climbing, according to PowerOutage.US. In Pinellas County, more than 152,000 of 559,792 Duke Energy customers were without power as of 7 p.m.

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

The county, which is under hurricane and storm-surge warnings, issued a mandatory evacuation for all Zones A, B and C, including those areas in St. Petersburg.

• Find your evacuation zone and closest evacuation shelter here.

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.

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• Hurricane Ian: 120 MPH Winds And Growing, Landfall At Sarasota
• Hurricane Ian: Here's What Residents Can Expect Starting Wednesday

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.

Sewage, Wastewater

St. Petersburg residents are asked to reduce their use of water during the storm, especially when winds reach speeds of 45 mph, according to a Facebook post from the city.

They’re also asked to not run dishwashers and laundry when Ian hits, and to limit the use of toilets and showers.

City officials said they currently has no plans to turn off the water or sewage during the storm. If storm surge reaches 15 feet or higher, certain equipment may need to be turned off for protection, but shouldn’t impact residents.

“The city has been preparing the wastewater facilities and infrastructure for an event like this,” according to the Facebook post.

Since 2016, the city has spent $400 million to replace old pipes and to improve and to modernize St. Petersburg’s wastewater and stormwater system, a news release from the city said.