Pinellas County Government: Elsa Post-Storm Warnings And Tips

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County is no longer under a Hurricane Warning but gusty conditions continue and residents should use caution when leaving their homes and especially avoid driving through flooded streets.

Pinellas County crews are working to assess damages; so far, only minimal damage has been reported.

Public shelters are scheduled to close by noon.

The County Information Center remains open until 3 p.m. Wednesday. Call 727-464-4333 or send an online chat at www.bit.ly/PinellasChat.

Pinellas County Animal Services is closed Wednesday and will be open for regular business hours Thursday, July 8.

Pinellas County Solid Waste is closed Wednesday and will be open for debris disposal Thursday, July 8, at 6 a.m. Public Works crews will not pick up curbside debris. Do not mix yard waste with garbage items, or place in bags. For more information visit Pinellas Waste solid waste recycling A to Z Guide.

The Household Electronics and Chemical Collection Center (HEC3) will be open Thursday, July 8 at 7 a.m.

Advice For Residents

Travel

-Never drive through standing water.

-Avoid downed or dangling utility wires.

Damages

-Document damages to your home or public areas by visiting https://storm.pinellascounty.org

-If your home or business has flooded, before you clean up, watch the following video to understand how to document flood damage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAAtqAIKY2I.

Visit https://www.floodsmart.gov/start to understand how to start a flood insurance claim.

-911 is for reporting life-threatening emergencies only - not damages or power outages

-Residents can report power outages at https://www.duke-energy.com/Outages

Sandbags

-For sandbags that have not come in contact with floodwaters, residents are encouraged to keep the sandbags and store them for reuse. The sand can be spread on lawns or used in landscape beds. If residents choose to dispose of sandbags, they are asked to place empty bags in their garbage for disposal and not in the recycling bin.

-Residents are asked to not dispose of full sandbags or sand with their regular curbside trash or yard debris. Sand does not burn and will not convert to energy in the county’s Waste-to-Energy Facility. Sand is abrasive and will damage equipment used to grind yard debris into mulch.

-For information on where to dispose of sand, visit Pinellas Waste solid waste recycling A to Z Guide.

Clean up

-Clean up most dangerous conditions first, such as broken glass.

-Use caution when clearing fallen trees

Generators and Stoves

-Do not plug portable generators into home electrical outlets.

-Place generators and propane stoves outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. They produce carbon monoxide, which you cannot smell and can be deadly.

-Plug appliances directly into the generator.

-Conserve generator fuel by limiting appliance usage to the bare essentials.

Get updates on Hurricane Elsa recovery efforts by visiting www.pinellascounty.org, Facebook @PinellasCountyNews and Twitter @PinellasCoNews, search hashtag #PCElsa.