Tropical Storm Helene: Sandbags, School Closures, Lake Drainage

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — With expectations that Tropical Storm Helene will strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall in the U.S., likely somewhere in the Florida Panhandle or the Big Bend area, Thursday, Pinellas County issued a local state of emergency Tuesday morning.

The county has made sandbags available at the following locations:

• John Chesnut Park, 2200 East Lake Road S., Palm Harbor, Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to noon.

• Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, 2450 Drew Street, Clearwater, Tuesday, sunrise to sunset, and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to noon. This is open to unincorporated county and Clearwater residents only.

Sandbags offered by the county are limited to 10 per vehicle. Residents should bring a shovel.

Individual cities and towns are likely offering their own sandbag locations.

In the city of St. Petersburg, self-service sandbag sites are open Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at:

• Dell Homes Park, 2741 22nd Street S.
• Fossil Park northernmost parking lot, 6875 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street N.
• Walter Fuller soccer field parking lot, 2800 75th Street N.

Full-service locations are open Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at:

• Lake Maggiore Park shelter area, 3601 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street S.
• Northeast Park east baseball field parking lot, 955 62nd Ave. NE
• Northwest Swimming Pool parking lot, 2331 60th Street N.

Related Stories:

• Tropical Storm Helene Aims For Gulf, 61 FL Counties Under Emergency
• Evacuations Planned In Sarasota County Ahead Of Helene: Officials

Sandbags are only recommended for those who may experience flooding less than 15 inches from rain or tides, county officials said. Sandbags won’t stop water completely, but they can reduce the amount of water entering your home. They won’t protect against waves or storm surge.

Pinellas County Schools will be closed and all sports and activities canceled on Wednesday and Thursday. Schedules could be altered for schools that might serve as evacuation sites. No evacuations have been ordered yet.

Pinellas County Public Works crews are checking hot spots to clear vegetation or debris that could affect stormwater drainage.

The county is also drawing down the water level at Taylor Lake in Largo, while the Southwest Water Management District is drawing down Lake Tarpon in Palm Harbor.

The Fort De Soto campground closed Tuesday and will remain closed until further notice, the county said. Flood gauges are also being monitored at Brooker Creek and other locations.

St. Petersburg work crews are also busy clearing storm drains, draining lakes and checking grates throughout the city ahead of Helene.