Hurricane Milton: Hillsborough County updates & information

TAMPA, Fla. - As Hurricane Milton works its way toward Florida, here's what people in Hillsborough County need to know.

Hillsborough County Evacuations:

Hillsborough County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Evacuation Zones A and B, and for all mobile homes and manufactured housing throughout the County starting at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7.

Hillsborough County Closings:

All Hillsborough County offices and facilities will close Tuesday, Oct. 8, Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, for regular operations to allow staff to focus on the emergency response to Hurricane Milton. Solid waste services will continue.

All Hillsborough County parks, preserves, recreation centers, and boat ramps will close Monday, Oct. 7, to allow staff to focus on the emergency response to Hurricane Milton.

The Aquarium will be closed to the public from Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 10.

The Straz Center will be closed Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Thursday, Oct. 10.

ZooTampa will be closed to guests from Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 10.

Hillsborough County Shelters:

General population, pet friendly shelters:

Burnett Middle School (pet friendly), 1010 N. Kingsway Rd., Seffner, FL 33584
Durant High School (pet friendly), 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City, FL 33567
Middleton High School (pet friendly), 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa, FL 33610
Shields Middle School (pet friendly), 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, FL 33573
Sickles High School (pet friendly), 7950 Gunn Hwy., Tampa, FL 33626
Steinbrenner High School (pet friendly), 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz, FL 33558

General population, no pet shelter:

Pizzo Elementary School, 11701 USF Bull Run Dr., Tampa, FL 33617
Reddick Elementary School, 325 W. Lake Dr., Wimauma, FL 33598

Special needs, pet friendly shelters:

Erwin Technical College (special needs only, pet friendly), 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33610
Sumner High School (special needs only, pet friendly), 10650 County Rd. 672, Riverview, FL 33579
Strawberry Crest High School (special needs only, pet friendly), 4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover, FL 33527.

Officials say special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or who have cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter.

Residents bringing pets to one of the pet-friendly shelters need to bring a sturdy carrier for each pet that allows room for the pet to stand up and move around, as well as a collar with a leash and supplies for each pet to last seven days.

Three new shelters will open at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the following locations:

Mulrennan Middle School (NOT pet friendly), 4215 Durant Rd., Valrico, FL 33594
Lockhart Elementary Magnet School (NOT pet friendly), 3719 N. 17th St., Tampa, FL 33610
Collins PK-8 School (NOT pet friendly), 12424 Summerfield Blvd., Riverview, FL 33569

Hillsborough County Sandbags:

All sandbagging locations in Hillsborough County are now closed and will remain closed through the storm.

Hillsborough County Schools:

Hillsborough County Schools announced that all schools will be closed through Friday, Oct. 11, to allow the county to convert schools into shelters for those needing to evacuate.

Saint Leo University's Tampa Education Center locations will be closed and classes canceled Monday, October 7, through Thursday, October 10. All Saint Leo employees are to report to work on Monday, and prepare their workspace for the storm.

All University of South Florida classes are canceled and all campuses will be closed through at least Thursday, Oct. 10.

Hillsborough County More Information:

Debris drop-off site:

Hillsborough County launched a temporary debris drop-off site at its Resource Recovery Facility located at 350 N. Falkenburg Rd., Tampa, FL 33619. Starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, residents and contractors can drop off yard waste, construction and demolition debris, furniture, and other household items at no charge. All appliances must be emptied of their contents. The site will remain open until further notice.

Click here for more information from Hillsborough County Emergency Management.