St. Pete Sandbag Supply Runs Out Ahead Of Hurricane Irma

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — After handing out a record-breaking 152,00 sandbags at six different locations over the past three days, the city of St. Petersburg says its supply to help residents prepare for Hurricane Irma had officially run out Friday morning.

“Due to the unprecedented demand for sandbags, the city of St. Petersburg has distributed its entire supply,” a Friday morning email from the police department said. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from St. Pete Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Anticipating a shortage of materials, the city on Thursday night recommended residents consider using topsoil from their yards or cat litter to create makeshift bags to help with the potential flooding Hurricane Irma might bring to the community.

The city gives out about 120,000 sandbags throughout a "typical storm season.”

By 8 a.m. Sept. 8, Irma had lost some, but not much of its punch. The beast that tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 10 people dead in her wake, had downgraded to a strong Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Irma was located about 450 miles southeast of Miami, moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

Analysis: Irma's 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Is Massive

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On its current path, Irma is expected to clear the northern Cuban coastline by Saturday and make its way up the center of the state in the early morning hours Monday. Forecasters say Irma’s hurricane-force winds extend out 70 miles from the center while tropical storm-force winds reach out 185 miles. Although downgraded, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say Irma remains an “extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane.”

At the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office in Ruskin, forecasters say Irma’s effects are likely to be felt in the region starting Saturday night. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the overnight hours Saturday while hurricane conditions are expected throughout the day Sunday and into Monday.

• Also see: Hurricane Irma: Tampa Bay Area Under Watch

"The main window of concern for Hurricane Irma impacts across west central and southwest Florida is Sunday through Monday afternoon,” service forecasters wrote in Friday morning’s local hurricane statement. Forecasters are urging residents to prepare for damaging winds, storm surge and the possibility of flooding rain.

“Moderate risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall may prompt several evacuations and rescues,” the agency wrote. Tornadoes are also a concern as Irma makes her way through. People who have been asked to evacuate should do so and “stick to prescribed evacuation routes.”

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