Hurricane Irma: Power Outages Across Tampa; 'Not Safe To Travel'; When Will Publix Open?

TAMPA, FL — More than half of the Tampa Bay area is without power Monday in the wake of Hurricane Irma's sweep across the region, which brought howling winds, toppled trees and ripped down power lines. Now a tropical storm, Irma is on its way toward the panhandle and Georgia, leaving residents to wait for an all-clear sign to start digging out in Tampa. Publix grocery stores remain closed, and all but three Tampa area shelters have closed.

Because there are live wires everywhere and debris is strewn across the metro, most authorities have urged residents to stay put today. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Skyway Bridge is closed, Gandy Bridge is closed to westbound travel, Courtney Campbell Causeway is closed for westbound travel but expected to open later Monday afternoon, and the Howard Frankland is closed to westbound traffic. All drivers are asked to stay home and off the highways while law enforcement, fire rescue, engineers, inspectors and other first responders check roads and bridges and clear fallen power lines and debris throughout all area counties. "It is not safe to travel area highways at this time," Tampa FHP spokesman Sgt. Steve Gaskins said.

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Watch: Hurricane Irma Weakens To A Tropical Storm, But It's Still Dangerous

One of the most-asked questions by residents is when will grocery stores re-open, and the answer from Publix Super Markets is that none of its hundreds of Tampa Bay area stores will open on Monday. An update from the chain shortly before 1 p.m. showed all locations are closed. "Rest assured, our associates are working tirelessly to restore each location as quickly as possible," the retailer said in a news release.

Click to find Publix stores' status, hours, and updates.

Hillsborough County officials say nearly 29,000 evacuees took shelter in 42 general population shelters, and is now transitioning shelter availability for evacuees who continue to need assistance. As evacuees leave shelters, Hillsborough County will begin to close shelters at most schools.

Those who still need somewhere to stay can use three remaining shelters:

• Burnett Middle School, 1010 N. Kingsway Road, Seffner (pet-friendly)
• Middleton High School, 4801 N. 22nd Street, Tampa
• Shields Middle School, 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin (no longer accepting pets)

Shelter managers are coordinating transportation assistance for evacuees who need help relocating from a closing shelter to one of the remaining open shelters. Residents whose homes have been damaged are encouraged to find a safe place to stay with family, friends, or at a nearby hotel. As a last resort, these three shelters are available for residents. Special-needs shelters are not included in this transition, and those evacuees will continue to receive assistance. Call (813) 272-5900 for additional information.

By 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, more than 6.2 million Florida residents were without power, NBC News reported. Florida Power and Light company had 3.6 million customers without power, according to its website. Utility companies reported Monday that about 320,000 Tampa Bay homes and businesses were without power.

TECO

• To report an outage by phone, call 1-877-588-1010.
• To report an outage online, visit TECO’s website.
• To send an outage report via text, text OUT to 35069.
• To check on the status of an outage via TECO’s outage map, visit the company’s website.

Duke Energy

• To report an outage by phone, call 1-800-228-8485.
• To report an outage online, visit the company’s website.
• To check on the status of an outage via Duke Energy’s outage map, visit the company’s website.

Florida Power & Light

• To report an outage by phone, call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).
• To report an outage online visit the company's website.
• To check on the status of an outage, visit the company's outage map online.

Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative

• To report an outage online, visit the company’s website.
• To check on the status of an outage via Withlacoochee’s outage map, visit the company online.

Lakeland Electric

• To report an outage by phone, call 863-834-9535.
• To check on the status of outages, visit the company’s online map.

A Polk County deputy and paramedic were trapped for two hours inside a patrol car when live power lines fell on it. The pair had just left Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where they had dropped off an elderly patient, and were returning to north Lakeland when the power pole fell in the hurricane winds. Crews from Lakeland Electric freed the responders, who returned to duty.

While most people were hunkered down across the Tampa Bay area during the storm's approach, TECO Energy received reports that scam artists posed as employees and held up residents at gunpoint. According to TECO Energy’s Facebook page, it received reports on Sunday, Sept. 10 that people dressed to look like utility workers knocked on doors and robbed at gunpoint those who answered.

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Irma Live Updates: Tampa Battered, Panhandle Next, 4M Without Power, 3 Deaths

Hurricane Irma battered Florida's west coast Sunday night after making landfall at Marco Island as a Category 3 storm. The storm had weakened to a Category 2 by 8 p.m. but was still packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph while making its way toward the Tampa Bay area, where communities across the region announced mandatory curfews to keep residents and first responders safe. Luckily, Irma wobbled a bit east, sparing Tampa Bay from the strongest winds, and left the region as a category 1 storm.

The monstrous storm that tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 20 people dead in its wake, is now blamed for at least three deaths in Florida. Airports have shut down operations, too, with many in Florida and Georgia canceling all flights through Monday and Tuesday. American Airlines is offering a $99 cap on main cabin flights into and out of affected airports once operations resume.

Port Tampa Bay officials said Monday the port suffered minor damage, including blown-down signs and minor flooding. Although the port remains closed, work is underway to begin the first transfers of fuel to tanker trucks later in the day. Video of Irma passing through Port Tampa Bay Sunday night was taken from a docked icebreaker ship, where port staff rode out the storm, and shared on Twitter.

The Veterans Hospital in Tampa said Monday that all outpatient clinics and procedures are cancelled. However, all procedures, operations, labs and radiology services based at the main hospital are still scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12. All other outpatient clinic appointments at the main hospital and community based outpatient clinics are cancelled and those offices are closed. Patients may be contacted by their individual clinic with additional instructions.

Patch's earlier coverage:

All police, fire and emergency crews in Hillsborough County were off the roads in the county late Sunday night. Hillsborough Fire Rescue announced that units would respond to emergencies when it is deemed safe.

A meteorologist for WFTS in Tampa said the landfall is good news because Irma has shifted to the east a bit. But he cautions that the Tampa Bay area will experience hurricane-strength winds for an estimated 15 hours. Hillsborough County is expected to see 75 to 100 mph winds.

The hurricane center said, "Irma is expected to remain a hurricane at least through Monday morning."

Tornado watches went up Sunday afternoon for many counties in Irma's path. In the Tampa Bay area, watches are in effect until 12 a.m. Monday for Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, Polk and Hernando counties. Tornado watches mean conditions are favorable for tornado development.

With the threat of Irma still looming large, communities across the Tampa Bay area announced curfews Sunday afternoon. Residents of Tampa, Manatee County and Temple Terrace were among those affected by curfews.

On Sunday afternoon in Land O' Lakes, nervous chatter filled the air at a Chinese restaurant. After news spread on Facebook that China Wok would remain open until 4 p.m., some made mad dashes in between squalls to grab “one last hot meal” before Irma.

Restaurant workers rushed to fill orders while phones rang off the hook. Customers talked about their preparations and what the next 24 hours might bring. One man reported already seeing billboards down in neighboring Hillsborough County, while another said he’d transformed his home into a “bunker.”

Disappointment was evident on new arrivals’ faces when employees announced the lo mein supply gone. Cream cheese won tons were also off the menu with only minutes to go before the eatery’s staff intended to shutter for the storm.

Watch: Tarpon Springs Woman Will Ride Out Hurricane Irma At Her Store

As Irma's rains and winds began to be felt in the Tampa Bay area, Clearwater Police took to Twitter to report a crash on Gulf-to-Bay. They posted photos of the accident as a warning to stay off the roads.

In Manatee County, receding waters left two manatees stranded. Sheriff's deputies and other rescuers jumped in to save the critters, the agency reported on Twitter.

Speaking of animals, the storm's got alligators in places they shouldn't be.

The storm's potential impacts on the Tampa Bay area have local officials on edge. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman took to Twitter Sunday morning to warn residents in his area.

Sgt. Steve Gaskins, of the Florida Highway Patrol, used his Twitter account Sunday morning to offer assurances to those trying to flee the storm's wrath.

The city of Tampa also issued a warning about the dangers of going out into the Bay as the storm approaches. While the extremely low waters off Bayshore Boulevard are a curiosity, the risk is great, officials warned.

Storm surge potential is a major concern in the Tampa Bay area. "The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," hurricane center forecasters wrote in Saturday's 5 p.m. update. "The water is expected to reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:"

• Cape Sable to Captiva: 10 to 15 feet
• Captiva to Anna Maria Island: 6 to 10 feet
• Anna Maria Island to Clearwater Beach (including Tampa Bay): 5 to 8 feet
• Clearwater Beach to Ochlockonee River: 4 to 6 feet

Analysis: There's No Way Around Irma's Wrath For Florida

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At the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office in Ruskin, forecasters have issued a flash flood watch through 4 p.m. Sept. 11, in addition to the hurricane and storm surge warnings. The flash flood watch covers the entire Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee counties. Hurricane Irma, forecasters say, is expected to dump 8 to 15 inches of rain across the region “with isolated amounts of up to 20 inches possible.”

"Although the amount of intensification expected from Irma has been decreased with the latest forecasts through Sunday morning, make no mistake that Irma is still a dangerous hurricane and is forecast to move near or over the west coast of the Florida peninsula Sunday through early Monday morning with the potential for significant and life threatening impacts from wind, surge and rain," weather service forecasters wrote Sunday morning. "Winds will gust to tropical storm force as fast-moving squalls move across southwest Florida early this morning. These squalls will increase in frequency and intensity during today as the outer rain bands of Irma spread north over the Florida peninsula. Given the current forecast track, a period of damaging winds is expected across all of west-central and southwest Florida between late Sunday morning and Monday morning."

See also:

• Manatee County Enacts Curfew As Irma Nears
• Temple Terrace Enacts Curfew As Irma Nears
• Tampa Enacts Curfew As Irma Nears
• St. Pete Enacts Curfew As Irma Nears
• Sunshine Skyway Closes Ahead Of Irma
• Tampa Enacts Curfew As Irma Nears
• Hurricane Irma: Is It The Disaster Experts Fear For Tampa Bay?
• Pinellas Expands Mandatory Evacuations Ahead Of Irma
• Hurricane Irma: Ports In Tampa, St. Pete, Manatee Closed
• Hillsborough County Issues Mandatory Evacuation Ahead Of Irma
• Hurricane Irma: Sleepless In Tampa Bay
• Pasco County Issues Mandatory Evacuation Ahead Of Irma
• Polk County Issues Mandatory Evacuation Ahead Of Irma
• Hurricane Irma Power Outages: How To Report In Tampa Bay
• Tampa, MacDill Issue Mandatory Evacuations Ahead Of Irma
• St. Pete Sandbag Supply Runs Out Ahead Of Hurricane Irma
• Manatee County Expands Evacuations Ahead Of Irma
• Florida Sheriff Offers ‘Shelter’ To Criminals During Irma
• Hurricane Irma: Pasco County Opening Shelters
• Where To Find Gas In The Tampa Bay Area: Hurricane Irma Evacuation
• All Florida Schools, State Offices Ordered To Close As Hurricane Irma Nears
• Hurricane Irma: FDOT Urges Evacuees To Use Real-Time Apps
• Florida Fuel Shortages: Governor Makes Appeal As Hurricane Irma Nears
• Shelters Opening In Manatee County As Hurricane Irma Nears
• Hurricane Irma: American Air Suspends Flights, Caps Fares

On Thursday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned about Irma’s size. “This thing is bigger than our entire state,” Scott said during a press conference. “Take this thing seriously.”

Graphic via the NASA Facebook page