Pinellas County Government: Update 3: Pinellas Residents Urged To Prepare For Potential Flood Impacts From Tropical Storm Elsa

Press release from the Pinellas County Government:

July 3, 2021

Pinellas residents urged to prepare for potential flood impacts from Tropical Storm Elsa

County continuing to monitor the storm, preparing for possible Tuesday impact

Latest Storm/Incident Developments

· The National Hurricane Center has placed Pinellas County in the five-day cone of uncertainty for Elsa, which was downgraded to a Tropical Storm late Saturday morning.

· Regardless of Elsa’s eventual track, high winds, rain, and flooding or storm surge may affect Pinellas County Tuesday, July 6.

· Residents in low-lying or flood prone areas should make a plan in the event of potential flooding.

 Pinellas County Response/Action

· The County Information Center remains open Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 727-464-4333.

· Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at www.bit.ly/PinellasChat.

· The Emergency Operations Center is operating 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.

· No county sandbag operations anticipated at this time.

· Web updates will be posted online at www.pinellascounty.org and www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/bulletin.htm.

· Pinellas County road crews are standing by to clear roads after the storm.

Advice & Information for Residents

· Make a plan now in case you need to shelter in place of leave your home - locate evacuation zone: www.pinellascounty.org/knowyourzone.

· Finalize preparedness plans: http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.htm.

· Monitor local news media, National Weather Service, www.pinellascounty.org, Facebook @PinellasCountyNews and Twitter @PinellasCoNews, search hashtag #PCElsa.

· Register for emergency alerts at http://www.pinellascounty.org/alertpinellas/.

· Review your disaster plan:

o  Please preregister for special needs shelters by calling the County Information Center at (727) 464-4333. 

o  Pre-registration is recommended for those transporting themselves. For those needing transportation assistance, registration is required. 

o  Residents only need to register for special needs shelters once per season, so doing it now will help you for the rest of the year. 

o  Purchase necessary items to complete survival kit now. 

o  Prepare your kit. Be sure to include necessary hygiene supplies and gather important papers. For those going to a shelter, we recommend that you bring face coverings and sanitizer. 

o  Review checklist online at www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.htm. 

o  Sign up for pet shelters now by visiting www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/petpreparedness. 

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.