St. Petersburg’s debris management site at 1953 72nd St. N. will remain open to those with proof of residency until 7 p.m. City brush sites and the Pinellas County Solid Waste Facility will remain open as weather permits. St. Petersburg is also conducting typical trash and recycling pickups Tuesday.
Two additional general population shelters have opened at Lealman Innovation Academy and Clearwater Fundamental Middle School, bringing the total to eight shelters available in Pinellas County. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Zones A, B, and C, including mobile homes and high-rise buildings. Regular PSTA service ends at 2 p.m. today, with buses continuing to offer free rides to mainland shelters until 7 p.m. A complete list of open shelters can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov
The Florida Division of Emergency Management will offer free evacuation shuttles to Pinellas County shelters until 7 p.m. Tuesday. The agency does not require reservations. For more information, call 800-729-3413 or visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Agency (PSTA) will suspend regular service, including paratransit, at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The agency will then focus on providing evacuation services until 7 p.m. or until sustained winds reach 40 mph. Residents can receive route and timing information by calling the county’s information line at 727-540-1900.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will suspend regular full service, including paratransit, at 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, October 8. Afterward, PSTA will focus solely on evacuation services until 7 p.m. or until sustained tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph are reached.
Comedian Bert Kreischer's Hurricane Helene relief benefit concert, originally scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 12 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, has been rescheduled for Nov. 15. Tickets for the original date will be honored at the rescheduled performance.
The St. Petersburg Police Department will ensure businesses in Evacuation Zones A, B and C shutter by 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. Officials said Monday evening that officers would offer first-time violators a warning before a $500 fine. They could arrest business owners after a third visit. The preemptive measure ahead of Hurricane Milton is to protect lives and reduce impacts on water systems.
The City of St. Petersburg has activated a program to pay individual hauling businesses $200 per load to pick up debris, with a limit of 100 trucks transporting to the Raytheon site in West St. Pete. Interested businesses should email business@stpete.org for more information.
Hurricane Milton has intensified faster than all but two storms in recorded history and now boasts winds topping 160 mph. The National Weather Service expects the storm’s strength to fluctuate as it moves towards Tampa Bay. Meteorologists expect the area to experience sustained major hurricane-force winds and a “life-threatening” storm surge Wednesday night.
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport will shutter at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and remain closed through Thursday due to Hurricane Milton’s impacts. Tampa International Airport will cease operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Officials have not announced a potential reopening date.
As of 9 a.m., Hurricane Milton, just a tropical depression Saturday morning, is now a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds. Meteorologists still expect the storm to weaken to a Category 3 before it makes landfall Wednesday evening near Tampa Bay. Local officials are bracing for the worst hurricane to hit the area since 1921.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) closed all Disaster Recovery Centers statewide ahead of Hurricane Milton. The agency opened a St. Petersburg location Saturday to help storm victims apply for assistance. The centers will reopen once weather conditions improve and officials complete facility inspections.
