ST. PETERSBURG — Even though Hurricane Idalia made land in Florida’s Big Bend area Wednesday morning, the Category 3 storm brought significant flooding to the Tampa Bay area.
About 4,000 homes and businesses are without power in St. Pete and approximately 22,000 in Pinellas County. There are reports of several downed trees so far, but city workers are not seeing significant debris throughout the city.
“But make no mistake, this hurricane left its mark,” said Welch. “The reality is that we are not done dealing with the consequences from this major storm. So please stay vigilant and stay alert this morning.”
The west side and Gulf beaches of Pinellas County are experiencing severe flooding that is expected to get worse. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said, “We have not seen the worst of it.”
Gualtieri stressed staying off the roads and calling 911 if you are experiencing water intrusion into your home and need transportation to a shelter.
Watch Mayor Ken Welch and his team address conditions in their 10 a.m. update.
Watch the Pinellas County Government’s 9 a.m. press conference for county updates.
City of St. Pete staff are currently managing the impacts of Idalia on St. Petersburg, especially all those low-lying areas and roads more prone to flooding and high water.
Morning Updates
- Idalia was predominantly a water event – low-lying areas are reporting significant flooding.
- We have seen 4 to 5 feet of storm surge around St. Pete.
- The Howard Frankland and Skyway Bridges are closed. Gandy Bridge is open. The beaches are closed.
- The Snell Isle Bridge and 40th Ave. Bridge are both closed.
- Some downed trees and several downed power lines have been reported through the Citizen Information Center.
What residents need to do now:
- Please stay off the roads and avoid contact with flood waters if possible.
- Under a tornado watch until 3 p.m.
- Please be respectful of no-wake zones. It can cause significant damage to residential homes.
- If there is water in your home, stay out of any room where water has submerged electrical outlets or cords.
- Please do not visit the St. Pete Pier or the St. Pete Municipal Marina until further assessment has been made.
What’s next:
- The highest impact for storm surge is anticipated this afternoon around 2 p.m.
- Crews will make a more detailed assessment to look for damage, downed trees, and scattered debris.
- For now, please place any vegetative debris in your trash bin until a further assessment can be made.
- City Brush Sites will open at Noon today for those that can safely travel, except for the 1000 62nd Ave. NE location – org/brushsites.
Stay alert and please wait to leave your home until the evacuation order has been lifted. Sign up for Alert St. Pete for real-time updates (stpete.org/alertstpete) and follow the City of St. Petersburg social media channels – @StPeteFL. Sign up for Alert St. Pete for real-time updates (stpete.org/alertstpete) and follow the City of St. Petersburg social media channels – @StPeteFL.
PSTA Updates
Due to widespread and increasing road flooding, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will continue to suspend all service for Wednesday, Aug. 30. This includes all routes and paratransit (PSTA Access).
PSTA plans to resume service beginning tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 31.
PSTA will update the local media about the status of service, so tune into your local newspaper, TV radio, and online outlets for the most up-to-date information. Riders can also find the latest information on PSTA bus service by calling the InfoLine at 727-540-1900 or by visiting our Facebook and Twitter feeds at Ride PSTA.
To stay current, please follow PSTA on all social media channels and local media outlets.
