Important Post-Hurricane Updates
Collection Sites Are Accepting Donations for Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Collection sites around Pinellas County are accepting donations for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. These locations are for donation drop-offs only, unless otherwise specified by the location’s agency. The locations in Clearwater are:
Habitat for Humanity Administration
- 14010 Roosevelt Blvd, Suite 704, Clearwater
- Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Greenwood Recreation Center
- 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Clearwater
- Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Accepted Items
- Canned or non-perishable food
- Sports drinks
- Personal care items
- Disposable baby diapers
- Baby food/ formula
- Can openers (manual)
- Plastic ware
- Paper products
- Disposable adult diapers
- Cleaning supplies, including mops and brooms
- Dust masks
- Work gloves, Heavy rubber kitchen gloves and non-sterile gloves
- Flashlights and fresh batteries
- Hand tools
Items Not Accepted
Items not accepted used clothing, bottled water, furniture, appliances and other large items.
Interested in Volunteering?
Individuals interested in volunteering can sign up via Volunteer Connect, a statewide online portal to match volunteers with organizations that are looking for help.
Clearwater Beach Updates As of Today, Sept. 30
 Beach recovery operations continue. All street sweeper have been redirected to the beaches. Sand is being sifted in various parking lots before being evaluated to be returned to the beach. Pier 60 is closed until further notice. Staff is walking the neighborhoods with flyers with important information about food distribution and rebuilding after the storm. Here are other important updates for beach residents and business owners to know.
Solid Waste and Recycling Update
The city’s disposal contractor will be picking up vegetation and demolition debris on Island Estates, Clearwater Beach and Sand Key beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 1 and until debris is cleared. Make sure your debris is separated into piles. Demolition debris includes carpet, drywall, furniture, mattresses, plumbing and other building materials. Do not place debris in the right-of-way, power lines, utilities or near a fire hydrant. If debris is in the right-of-way or cars are parked in close proximity to the debris, trucks might not be able to access your road or service your home. Household hazardous waste does not belong at your curb. When these chemicals are close together such as chlorine and gasoline, they can become incredibly dangerous to you and the pickup crews. If the debris is not sorted, it will hamper our pickup efforts and slow down the process to get back to normal.
What To Do With Sand
Only clean sand can be returned to the beach after it has been sifted, tested and permit approved by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This approved sand must be returned above the high tide line (mean high water line). The sand must not have stains, odors or include debris, and you must not place it over dune plants, turtle nests, storm debris or construction debris. No sand should be returned to Clearwater city beaches.
If the sand does not meet the criteria above, you must request permission from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (840-245-2094 or email CCCL@FloridaDEP.gov). Once you have permit permission, the same placement restrictions apply. Failure to follow these rules may result in civil penalties. Florida Department of Environmental Protection has personnel monitoring the beach areas. If you are using heavy equipment, be cautious of buried water lines and other infrastructure. Do not put sand in your trash. Do not place sand in any right-of- way or push it onto the road. Do not attempt to clear public roads. Our Public Works department is working on authorization from Florida Department of Environmental Protection to screen clean sand to remove debris, conduct necessary testing/inspections before returning it to permitted areas on the beach.
Sea Wall Damage
If the seaward side of a property’s seawall is exposed, residents should consult a structural engineer or licensed marine contractor before covering the wall with sand. Placing sand on a damaged seawall could cause further and costly damage.
Contractors and Rebuilding After the Storm
Whenever using a contractor, make sure they are licensed. Unlicensed or fraudulent contractors often target desperate home and business owners in the aftermath of hurricanes. Learn more at Pinellas.gov/choosing-a-contractor. Verify that contractors are licensed at contractorsearch.pcclb.com.
Learn more about Clearwater’s requirement for rebuilding after the storm at MyClearwater.com/RebuildingAfterStorm
Parking
Parking fees have been suspended until further notice for downtown and Clearwater Beach to help recovery efforts.
Power
According to Duke Energy, there are 6,000 without power in Clearwater. If your home has experienced significant flooding, turn off your main breaker for an added level of safety as power to the area is restored. Never attempt to access your breaker panel if it is wet or near water.
Speeding
We’ve noticed increased speeding on the beaches—please remember to treat every intersection with an inoperable traffic signal as a four-way stop. Drive cautiously and remain alert. Heavy equipment is active on the beach for recovery efforts, and operators may not be able to react quickly. Help us keep everyone safe by slowing down and staying aware.
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