HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — As the Tampa Bay area braces for Hurricane Milton, local officials are issuing county-by-county guidance for residents who will be affected by the storm.
10 Tampa Bay is compiling this guidance and other local information into county-specific guides. We will keep you updated with the latest information as the storm develops. Here's what you need to know for Hillsborough County:
FORECAST
Timing: 6 p.m. Wednesday through 6 a.m. Thursday. See the latest forecasts for the area here.
Impact:
- Winds: 80-110 mph
- Rain: 8 to 15 inches
- Surge: 9 to 13 feet
EVACUATIONS
Hillsborough County leaders have issued mandatory evacuations for Zones A and B. For those who live in manufactured homes, you'll have to evacuate regardless of where you are in the county. You can find your evacuation zone here.
The evacuation order takes effect at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7. Residents in Evacuation Zone A, Zone B, and all mobile and manufactured homes should be in a safe location no later than 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
SHELTERS
You can find an interactive map with the latest shelters and their status here. County officials say it's important to be sure a location is open before arriving since they operate on an as-needed basis.
"Special needs only" locations are for "residents whose medical condition may require the use of electrical equipment, oxygen, dialysis, or individuals with physical, cognitive, or medical conditions that may require assistance from medical professionals." These locations do not provide continuous bedside nursing.
The following locations are being used as shelters.
Pet friendly:
- (Old) Barnes & Noble 11802 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa 33618
- Burnett Middle School 1010 N Kingsway Rd, Seffner, FL 33584
- City Furniture 3205 S Frontage Road, Plant City 33566
- Durant High 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City, FL 33567 - Full Capacity
- Erwin Technical College 2010 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610 ** Special needs only** - Full Capacity
- Middleton High School 4801 N 22nd St, Tampa, FL 33610
- Shields Middle School 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, FL 33573 - Full Capacity
- Sickles High School 7950 Gunn Hwy, Tampa, FL 33626 - Full Capacity
- Sumner High School 10650 Co. Rd. 672, Riverview, FL **Special needs only**
- Steinbrenner High School (5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz, FL
33558) - Strawberry Crest High School 4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover, FL 33527 ** Special needs only**
- Mulrennan Middle School 4215 Durant Rd., Valrico
- Lockhart Elementary Magnet School 3719 N. 17th St., Tampa
- Collins PK-8 School 12424 Summerfield Blvd., Riverview
Not pet friendly:
- Pizzo Elementary School 11701 USF Bull Run Dr., Tampa, FL 33617
WATER SERVICE
The City of Tampa is trying to dispel rumors that the water will be shut off. In an X post, officials said the Tampa Water Department has been preparing to "deliver safe, high-quality water throughout the storm."
"There are also several contingency plans in place that will allow the water treatment plant to continue operating through the storm. Customers are still urged to stock up on water in case the storm damage disrupts service to their home or neighborhood," officials wrote in the post.
In another X post, the city requested residents to reduce wastewater use: "Please help our teams ahead of the storm by keeping showers short and limiting toilet flushes. This will help reduce demand on our facilities."
POWER
You can find the latest power outages on the TECO website here.
CLOSINGS
Schools
You can find the latest school closings on the Florida Department of Education's website here.
Comfort Stations
These facilities were placed in some communities hit the hardest by Hurricane Helene. They are closed until further notice.
County parks, preserves and recreation centers
All county offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The tax collector's office closes at noon Monday and will be closed until Thursday.
Election offices are closed Tuesday and Wednesday and will potentially be closed Thursday and Friday.
Trash collection
Hillsborough County Emergency operations announced it is suspending trash, recycling and yard waste operations for Tuesday. Officials anticipate services to resume on Friday.
Residents are asked not to place any debris until after the storm passes.
Hillsborough Transit Authority
On Tuesday, HART buses will operate on the Emergency Service Schedule.
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Tampa International Airport will suspend all commercial and cargo flights starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It will remain closed to the public until it can assess damage after.
The Florida Aquarium
The aquarium will be closed from Tuesday through Thursday and is planning to reopen Friday morning, according to an X post.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
The zoo will be closed from Tuesday to Thursday. Staff are preparing to ensure the security of the animals by moving larger animals into their night houses and smaller birds into safer buildings.
Staff are also securing loose items, stocking up on animal diets and other activities, according to a news release.
Tampa Bay Lightning game
The Bolts canceled their game against the Nashville Predators on Monday.
The Tampa Bay History Center
The center will close at 12 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, and remain closed through Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Bridges
- Sunshine Skyway Bridge is closed to all traffic as of 11:30 a.m. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge closes when sustained wind speeds exceed 45 mph.
- The Howard Frankland Bridge is now closed to all traffic.
- Westbound Gandy Bridge is now closed to all traffic.
- Westbound Courtney Campbell is now closed to all traffic.
