Pinellas County closing public access to barrier islands ahead of Hurricane Ian
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Deputies with the Pinellas Sheriff's Office will close access to the barrier islands from Tierra Verde to the Dunedin Causeway ahead of Hurricane Ian.
The sheriff's office said they are closing access at midnight tonight, and residents will still be able to evacuate.
Whether residents have a re-entry pass or not, they will not be permitted to re-enter the barrier islands until after the storm passes and law enforcement has determined its safe, Pinellas County deputies said.
Deputies were restricting access to the county's barrier islands on Tuesday starting to 7 a.m., meaning only residents or citizens with legitimate business were allowed access, the sheriff's office said.
RELATED: How will Hurricane Ian impact the Tampa Bay area? Here's a county-by-county breakdown
The following cities and communities are included under the restricted access:
- Belleair Beach
- Belleair Shore
- Clearwater
- Dunedin Causeway/Honeymoon Island
- Indian Rocks Beach
- Indian Shores
- Madeira Beach
- North Redington Beach
- Redington Beach
- Redington Shores
- St. Pete Beach
- Tierra Verde
- Treasure Island
The sheriff's office said additional law enforcement officers will be patrolling all of the mandatory evacuation areas to ensure public safety and protect property during the storm.
LINK: Track Ian on MyFOXHurricane.com.