Pinellas County Opens Sandbag Locations

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — With a low pressure system near the Yucatan Peninsula threatening the Tampa Bay area with the potential for tropical weather and flooding early next week, Pinellas County is gearing up to help residents prepare.

The county announced Friday evening that it plans to open sandbag locations over the weekend so residents can protect their homes from potential flooding. Residents can report to the sandbag locations to assemble their own bags.

Sandbag operations will open from 7 a.m. until sunset on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 at the following locations:

• John Chesnut Park, 2200 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor
• John Taylor Park, 1100 8th Ave. S.W., Largo
• Lealman Community Park, 3890 55th Ave. N., St. Petersburg

Residents will be limited to 20 sandbags per vehicle and will need to fill and transport their own bags. The county will provide shovels, sand and bags.

For more information on sandbags, visit www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/sandbags.htm or call 727-464-8900.

The National Weather Service is anticipating severe weather to move into the Tampa Bay area starting late Sunday and continuing through Monday. In addition to making sandbags available, the county is also clearing out ditches throughout the county to better prepare for heavy stormwater runoff.

See Also:

• Tropical Cyclone May Threaten Tampa Bay
• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

While still days away from being a direct threat to the Tampa Bay area, the area of low pressure near Mexico has been given a 60 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone over the next five days. The system is expected to move over the Tampa Bay area next week, bringing heavy rainfall with it.

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