City officials will open full-service and self-service sandbag distribution centers Sunday ahead of what has quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Milton. Meteorologists expect a Category 2 hurricane to hit Florida's Gulf Coast sometime Wednesday. For more sandbag information, visit the website here.
John Catsimatidis, founder of the Red Apple Group, is encouraging the local development community to support the We Are St. Pete hurricane relief fund by matching donations of up to $50,000. Catsimatidis, the developer behind the Residences at 400 Central, and his family initially contributed $10,000. “St. Petersburg has been incredibly good to us, and now is the time for all of us to give back,” Catsimatidis said.
The PNC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of PNC Bank, has announced a $1 million commitment to disaster relief and recovery efforts in areas of Florida and North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene. $500,000 will go to the American Red Cross for immediate relief services, $400,000 will go to local nonprofits to address long-term recovery needs as they are identified and the remaining $100,000 is earmarked for matching employee donations.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Leadership St. Pete has extended its deadline for nonprofits to apply to be its 2025 Community Project recipient. Applications must now be submitted online at this link by Monday, Oct. 7 by 4:00 p.m.
A Tropical Depression has formed in the western Gulf of Mexico and will likely strengthen into a hurricane as it heads east toward Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. Saturday morning forecasting models show a hurricane hitting somewhere between the Big Bend area and Southwest Florida as early as Tuesday. Pinellas County residents should prepare for the storm’s impacts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a Registration Assistance Point at the Enoch D. Davis Center to help St. Petersburg residents navigate disaster relief applications. City staff will aid those efforts seven days a week, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Enoch D. Davis Center is at 1111 18th Ave. S.
St. Petersburg-based Raymond James will donate $6.5 million to support associates and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The financial services giant will provide a $1,000 stipend to eligible employees and three additional paid leave days. The firm will also contribute $1 million to the American Red Cross and provide up to a $250,000 match for associate donations to the nonprofit or United Way Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund.
Joe Hamilton, publisher of the St. Pete Catalyst, has decided to cancel the Catalyst Candidate Forum scheduled for Monday evening as the area recovers from Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. Hamilton plans to pivot to one-on-one virtual interviews to share local candidates’ platforms with the community. The Catalyst will provide additional information as it becomes available.
Pinellas County residents displaced by Hurricane Helene have resources to find short and long-term housing. Those include the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Displacement Assistance program, which provides up-front money to help with immediate needs. To apply, call 1-800-621-3362, visit the website here, or go to the Disaster Recovery Center at 120 Central Park Drive in Largo. To view a list of county housing resources, visit the website here or call (727) 464-4333 for shelter information.
The Cross Bay Ferry resumes service between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa today and will operate from Wednesday through Sunday. It will carry passengers to all Tampa Bay Lightning home games at Amalie Arena. The ferry departs from Port St. Pete at 250 8th Ave. SE and arrives at the Tampa Convention Center at 333 South Franklin St. For more information, visit the website here.
The Florida Department of Financial Services will open an “insurance village” Friday at the Clearwater Parks & Recreation Long Center at 1501 North Belcher Rd. Over 40 insurers will participate in the event from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. through Sunday. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said companies would provide initial claim checks for storm victims.
Multiple area nonprofits and other organizations are coming together to host a multi-stop hurricane relief drive Friday, Oct. 4 in St. Petersburg. The free event will include hot meals, nonperishable foods, water, produce, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, pet food, diapers, information and resources. The stops include:
