Hurricane Helene Update #8

UPDATE: Sept. 25 | 5 p.m.
Hurricane Helene continues to strengthen and move north.

Forecasted Impacts and Timing:

• Pinellas County remains under a Storm Surge Warning, Tropical Storm Warning, Hurricane Watch and Flood Watch.
• Life-threatening storm surge flooding of five to eight feet will be possible across coastal areas of Pinellas County late Thursday (09/26). Elevated coastal waters are forecast to last 24 to 36 hours from early Thursday (09/26) into Friday evening (09/27).
• A Probabilistic Storm Surge Tide Viewer from the NHC can be found here: https://slosh.nws.noaa.gov/petss.\
• Low-lying coastal roads may begin to experience flooding as soon as Thursday (09/26) morning. 
• Heavy rain of four to six inches, with isolated higher amounts up to ten inches, is forecast for Pinellas County through Thursday (09/26).
• Tropical storm force winds are forecast to start Thursday morning (09/26) and continue through Thursday night (09/26). Strong tropical storm force winds will be possible mid-day Thursday (09/26).
• There is the potential for scattered tornadoes and waterspouts on Thursday (09/26).

Key Messaging from Treasure Island:

• Pinellas County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in Zone A and all mobile homes countywide. This includes all of Pinellas County.
• At this point, there are no plans to close the bridges. Of course, that could change.
• Learn about what you should do before evacuating by looking at the last update or visiting MyTreasureIsland.com/Helene.
• If you own an electric vehicle/golf cart, take them off the island. If you have to leave them, do not park them in garages and keep them at least 20 feet from your home.
• Get more information on how to secure your boats, what to do with electric vehicles, and all the latest information at MyTreasureIsland.com/Helene.
• The County Information Center (CIC) is open 24 hours for preparedness questions. Call (727) 464-4333. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the CIC via online chat at bit.ly/PinellasChat.
• Pinellas County has ended registration for new special needs transportation requests. Residents with special medical needs who still require transportation to a public shelter have several options:
• PSTA will continue to offer free rides to shelters until the end of scheduled service on Wednesday.
• Individuals with an Uber account can use codeHELENERELIEF to obtain a $40 voucher for up to two trips. To unlock the code: go to “Account”, select “Wallet” or “Payment,” and then “Add Promo Code” at the end of the page. 
• Otherwise, residents are encouraged to reach out to friends or neighbors for help getting transportation to a shelter before weather conditions become dangerous on Thursday morning.