Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Important Post-Hurricane Updates

FEMA Assistance is Now Available

Residents can contact the city information center at 727-562-4682 with storm or general questions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Apply for Assistance

Clearwater Beach Updates As of Today, Sept. 30

Beach recovery operations continue. All street sweepers 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 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 or near power lines, utilities or a fire hydrant. If debris is in the right-of-way or if 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, your neighbors and pickup crews. If the debris is not sorted, it will hinder our pickup efforts and slow down the process to get back to normal. Recycling collection has been suspended at this time.

Barrier Island Re-Entry

The city of Clearwater has opened access for residents and business owners for all of Clearwater Beach, Island Estates and Sand Key. The barrier islands are not open to visitors. No deliveries allowed (No Amazon, Instacart, Appliances, Doordash, etc.) These rules will remain in place until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, when access for everyone is restored.

Important Road Closures

Pierce Street between Myrtle Avenue and Osceola Avenue is closed. Osceola Avenue between Drew Street and Court Street is closed. These closures are to facilitate access to the barrier islands for emergency vehicles and city equipment being used in recovery efforts. Residents and business owners accessing the barrier islands should travel westbound on Court Street from Fort Harrison Avenue or Myrtle avenues.

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. 

Parking

Parking fees have been suspended until further notice for downtown and Clearwater Beach to help recovery efforts. 

Drones

Clearwater Gas

What To Do With Sand 

From Pinellas County: If clean sand from the beach ended up on your property you can return it to the beach and dune above the high tide line (mean high water). It must not have stains, odors or debris, and you must not place it over dune plants, turtle nests, hurricane generated debris or construction debris.

If the sand does not meet the criteria above, you must request permission from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (850-245-2094 or CCCL@FloridaDEP.gov). Once you have permission, the same placement restrictions apply.   

Failure to follow these rules may result in civil penalties.

Don’t put sand in your trash or out in the road.

If you’re using heavy equipment, be cautious of buried water lines and other infrastructure. Call 311.

Collection Sites Are Accepting Donations for Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene

City Hall Groundbreaking Canceled

To focus on supporting our community after Hurricane Helene, the city of Clearwater is postponing the groundbreaking ceremony originally scheduled for Oct. 2 for our new city hall to a later date to be determined. Details will be shared when they become available.

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. 
• 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.
• Learn more about Clearwater’s requirement for rebuilding after the storm at MyClearwater.com/RebuildingAfterStorm 

Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Post-Storm Scam

Avoid becoming a victim of post-storm scams! Residents are protected by the state’s price gouging law. Residents who suspect price gouging can report it by calling the Pinellas County Consumer Protection at (727) 464-6200 or online at www.pinellas.gov/consumer and are also encouraged to report it to the Attorney General’s hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.

Effective only during a declared state of emergency, the price gouging law bans unconscionable prohibits sharp increases in the price of essential commodities, such as food, water, shelter, ice, gasoline, lumber and equipment that is needed as a direct result of an official declared emergency. Violators are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation, up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.

Also, be wary of solicitations for charitable contributions on behalf of Hurricane Helene. All charities soliciting within Florida – excluding religious, educational, political and governmental agencies entities – are required to register and file financial information with the with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To check whether a charitable organization is properly registered, visit Check-A-Charity, a resource that provides the information reported to the department.

Latest Storm Updates

Follow Our Social Media Feeds

Have a question or concern? Reach out and let us know.