According to a Thursday night press release, Duke Energy Florida has provided customers in Pinellas County with an estimated time of restoration (ETR). The ETR indicates when the company expects the majority of customers in an area to receive power. Pinellas residents without meter damage should receive electricity by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1. Meanwhile, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg is welcoming community members to the University Student Center (USC) from noon to 8 p.m. Friday. The USC is located at 200 6th Ave. S. in downtown St. Petersburg, and will provide a cool place to charge electronics, coffee, water, fruit and snacks.
The St. Pete Pier District, Municipal Marina, Albert Whitted Airport and The Coliseum will reopen Friday. All parks and recreation facilities will reopen Monday, according to an alert from the city.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge has reopened to traffic in both directions as wind speeds have dropped to 30 miles per hour. Motorists may cross the span, but are asked to use caution due to debris along the highway shoulders, Florida Highway Patrol tweeted.
The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport announced it will be reopening Friday, Sept. 30. The alert stated the airport did not experience significant damage at the terminal nor parking lots. Tampa International Airport will also resume operations Friday at 10 a.m.
Before the strongest Hurricane Ian winds arrived in St. Petersburg, the gusts were still enough to knock over the Wish Tree in the Dali Museum garden. Winds have uprooted the ficus tree several times since it was planted in 2011, but this time will be the last. The Wish Tree will be removed from the property at the request of insurers. A new Dali Dome for immersive experiences will take its place. The Catalyst will publish more details and a retrospective piece on the Wish Tree Thursday.
Transportation officials announced the Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed to all traffic due to high winds around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The span closes when wind gusts top 40 mph. Those traveling between St. Petersburg and Bradenton will now have to drive through Tampa and use I-75, although Google Maps shows that route is also affected by delays and issues arising from Hurricane Ian. The storm is approaching the Ft. Myers area.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that funeral arrangements for Deputy Michael Hartwick are set for 11:00 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3. Hartwick was killed during a Sept. 22 hit-and-run incident while directing traffic at a construction site along I-275. Although the office announced the date and time, the location remains unclear. However, the release reminded members of the public that doors open at 10 a.m. and parking is limited. A special ceremony will occur following the service, including a 21-gun salute, a riderless horse, a last call and a fly-over. According to the release, no procession will follow the ceremony. For more information, and to leave messages for the family, visit the website here.
Dynasty Financial Partners announced Tuesday the closing of a $50 million revolving credit facility with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) acting as sole administrative agent, and UMB Bank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan joining RBC as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners. “This new facility provides us with significant dry powder to continue to drive growth in the business and further enhance our service offering. We are thrilled to work with RBC, Goldman Sachs, Citi, J.P. Morgan, and UMB, and we look forward to building upon our relationship with these world-class institutions," Dynasty CFO Justin Weinkle said in a statement.
Tampa International Airport is suspending all operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday, ahead of Hurricane Ian. According to a release, the closure will allow airport officials to prepare the airfield and terminals, and secure jet bridges, ground equipment and any remaining aircraft on site. Officials expect a high travel head of the closure today and recommend arriving at the airport at least two hours before scheduled flights. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport will close at 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the last scheduled departure at 11:22 a.m.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies began restricting access to local barrier islands at 7 a.m. Tuesday, ahead of Hurricane Ian. Only residents and citizens with legitimate business interests can travel in and out of coastal areas. According to a release, the restrictions will continue until the storm passes the county. Areas affected include Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Clearwater, Dunedin Causeway and Honeymoon Island, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Reding Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach, Tierra Verde and Treasure Island. The following citizens can access barrier islands with a re-entry permit or photo identification and reasonable proof that they live or have legitimate business interests in the area: residents, property owners, business owners, business employees and contractors.
Due to Hurricane Ian's impending impact on Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have rescheduled its game against the El Paso Locomotive FC to Wednesday, Oct. 12. The Tampa Bay Lightning have also postponed its preseason games on Wednesday, Sept. 28 against Carolina and Thursday, September 29 against Nashville at Amalie Arena. Tickets for postponed games will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Further details will be announced at a later time.
The University of South Florida St. Petersburg will be canceling classes starting Monday through Thursday. Business operations will continue on Monday. All of the campuses will begin closing Tuesday, Sept. 27. Meanwhile, all of the St. Petersburg College campuses and offices will be open for normal operations today, Sept. 26. SPC will close and stop classes Tuesday, Sept. 27, and Wednesday, Sept. 28, according to social media posts.
