TAMPA, Florida — Get ready to pay up, Florida drivers.
After temporarily pausing during Hurricane Idalia evacuations, tolls are set to resume this week.
Gov. Ron DeSantis first announced that Florida was waiving tolls last week as the state prepared for Hurricane Idalia's arrival.
The goal was to ensure Floridians had "no barrier to getting their families to a safe location," FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said at the time.
Most major roads along Florida's west coast have been toll-free since Aug. 29, including highways in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. But starting at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 5, drivers will be charged tolls on roads including:
- Sunshine Skyway Bridge
- Veterans Expressway
- Selmon Expressway
- I-4 connector
- Suncoast Parkway
- Pinellas Bayway
- I-75 to I-4 turnpike
Although payments will resume, an emergency order is still in place to allow expanded weight and size requirements for vehicles transporting emergency equipment, supplies, agriculture commodities and citrus.
Hurricane Idalia brought flooding and significant storm surge to parts of the Tampa Bay area last week, leaving residents and business owners in the thick of the clean-up process more than a week later.
In Shore Acres, which saw the brunt of Hurricane Idalia’s storm surge last week, flood-damaged belongings still pile up outside temporarily unlivable homes. On Monday, families in the neighborhood were thankful that Pinellas County was added to Florida's Major Disaster Declaration — meaning residents are now eligible for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
To apply for assistance, head to this link, use the FEMA app or call 800-621-3362. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week and help is available in most languages.
Starting Monday, Sept. 4, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance will go door to door in affected areas within the county to meet with homeowners, renters and businesses impacted by Idalia. These workers will help people register for FEMA Individual Assistance or update any information for registered people.
To spot FEMA officials, they will be wearing an official FEMA shirt or vest and an ID badge displayed above their belt line.
10 Tampa Bay's Leo Santos contributed to this report.