Tropical Storm Helene: Hillsborough County updates & information

TAMPA - As Tropical Storm Helene heads toward Florida, here's what people in Hillsborough County need to know.

Hillsborough County Evacuations:

No evacuations have been announced.

Hillsborough County Closings:

City of Tampa offices will be closed on Thursday.

Hillsborough County Shelters:

No shelter openings were announced.

Hillsborough County Sandbags:

Hillsborough County is providing sandbags to help residents prepare for potential flooding.

The sandbags will be available to the public starting from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the following four locations:

Edward Medard Conservation Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City, FL 33567
E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave. NW, Ruskin, FL 33570
Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Dr., Tampa, FL 33626
Larry Sanders Sports Complex, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa, FL 33619

Hillsborough County residents are eligible for a maximum of 10 sandbags per family. Residents must show ID verifying they live in the county. A driver’s license will serve as proper identification.

Tampa

Several sandbag distribution sites will be open in Tampa on Tuesday and Wednesday:

Himes Ave Complex, 4501 South Himes Avenue
Al Barnes Park, 2902 North 32nd Street
Al Lopez Park, 4810 North Himes Avenue

The sites will be open on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for seniors and people with special needs and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the general public. On Wednesday, sites will be open to the general public from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There's a limit of 10 bags and residents need to bring identification to verify their residence.

Temple Terrace

The City of Temple Terrace is opening a sandbag location ahead of potential Tropical Storm Helene.

Sports Complex, 10369 US Highway 301.

The location will be open on:

Tuesday – 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday – 8 p.m. to 7 p.m.

City officials say residents will have a maximum of 10 sandbags per person and identification is required to verify residency.

Hillsborough County Schools:

Hillsborough County Schools will be closed on Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday, September 26, in anticipation of the storm. In addition, all after-school programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities are canceled for this Wednesday and Thursday.