Hurricane Helene: Hillsborough County updates & information

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

Hillsborough County Evacuations:

Hillsborough County has issued a mandatory evacuation beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m. for Zone A, along with anyone living in mobile and manufactured homes, regardless of their zone.

Hillsborough County Closings:

Hillsborough County closed all offices and facilities on Thursday. The closure includes all county libraries, parks, preserves and recreation centers. Officials said conservation parks and nature preserves will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. All recreation centers will close Wednesday.

James A. Haley Hospital and all associated VA clinics closed for in-person appointments on Thursday. Veterans who can't be seen virtually will be rescheduled. The ER will operate normally.

Hillsborough County solid waste collection has been suspended for Thursday.

Port Tampa Bay's shipping channel closed at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Despite the closure, landslide operations will continue as long as safely possible.

Tampa

Tampa International Airport suspended operations at 2 a.m. on Thursday and will remain closed until officials can assess the storm damage.

City of Tampa offices will be closed on Thursday.

Garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection will be suspended on Thursday for both residential and commercial properties in Tampa.

The Tampa city council workshop scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, along with the evening session, will be postponed, with agenda items to be rescheduled for a later date.

City parks will remain open to the public on Wednesday, September 25. However, all programming will be suspended on both Wednesday and Thursday as Parks & Recreation staff transition to storm-related duties, including shelter staffing.

Busch Gardens is closed on Thursday.

ZooTampa is closed on Thursday.

Florida Aquarium is closed on Thursday.

Westshore Mall is closing at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 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, Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27 in anticipation of the storm. In addition, all after-school programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities are canceled for this Wednesday and Thursday.

The University of South Florida canceled all classes at all USF campuses beginning on Wednesday and will not resume until Monday. Campuses will return to normal business operations (without classes) on Saturday.

Hillsborough Community College is closing at noon on September 25 through September 26. All afternoon and evening classes are canceled.

The University of Tampa has also canceled classes for tomorrow through Friday. Weekend activities are still as scheduled, but classes won't resume until Monday, Sept. 30.