Residents, visitors should get to safety before Hurricane Idalia impacts begin

Mar 23, 2024

Cathie PerkinsDirector

Pinellas County Emergency Management10750 Ulmerton RoadLargo, FL 33778(727) 464-3800

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With Hurricane Idalia continuing to intensify in the Gulf of Mexico, Pinellas County residents should make final preparations for the storm.

Those evacuating should plan to be safely situated by around 7 p.m. Residents staying home should make sure they have medications, water, batteries, important papers and other hurricane kit supplies. Everyone is advised to stay off the roads after 7 p.m. until storm conditions subside. High winds and rain are expected to make travel unsafe tonight, and emergency responders may not be able to immediately help once wind speeds become dangerous.

Pinellas County emergency planners are concerned that some may underestimate the storm because the county is not currently in the forecast cone. Even if Idalia stays on the current track and passes to the west of the Tampa Bay area, Pinellas County will likely be exposed to the most dangerous side of the storm. The National Hurricane Center is still forecasting four to seven feet of storm surge, which would result in water inundation in many homes in coastal and low-lying areas that are part of the mandatory evacuation for Zone A.

“The cone does not tell you the whole story for where the impacts of this storm are,” Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said. “The outer bands extend much further out. We are still expecting storm surge in our area, we are still expecting Tropical Storm force and perhaps some hurricane force winds here in Pinellas County.”

Currently, Hurricane Idalia’s winds extend outward up to 160 miles from the storm’s center.

If going to a public shelter, pack essential items, but pack light. Space is very limited. Bring:

Many people will use generators if they lose power. Here are some safety tips for generator use after the storm:

Updates will continue to be posted at disaster.pinellas.gov.