PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Residents are strongly urged to shelter in place by midnight tonight and as Hurricane Ian approaches, should be making final preparations.
Pinellas County remains under a Hurricane Warning and Storm Surge Warning for Hurricane Ian.
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline and Tampa Bay.
Hurricane Ian is expected to reach the Tampa Bay area as a strong hurricane.
Residents should plan for the possibility of winds greater than 110 mph. Tornadoes are also possible. There’s still some uncertainty with the track, size, and intensity of the storm, but Pinellas County will see very significant impacts.
Rainfall totals of 8 to 15 inches are expected through Friday. Low-lying areas of Pinellas County are expected to flood. Flooding is different from storm surge.
Pinellas County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Evacuation Zones A, B, and C, including all mobile homes. Residents who need to go to a public shelter can find locations at http://storm.pinellascounty.org.
Anyone in these zones who hasn’t evacuated yet should do so immediately. Once sustained winds have reached 40 mph, emergency responders will stay off the roads and not be able to respond to most calls.