LARGO, Fla. — After Hurricane Helene brought a historic storm surge to coastal and low-lying areas in Pinellas County, Largo city leaders are providing updates to residents regarding closures, reopenings and recovery efforts.
In a news release, leaders said as of Friday at 2 p.m., city facilities are still closed to the public. But, the Largo Police Department and Largo Fire Rescue will remain open and team members will be available by phone and online to help those affected by Helene's impacts.
As far as reopenings, leaders said the Largo Public Library and city recreation facilities will reopen as scheduled on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Largo Golf Course will be open for cart play only and McGough Nature Park will reopen once power is restored.
For recovery efforts, Thursday pickups have moved to Friday and Friday pickups have moved to Saturday, city leaders said. Residents should place yard waste and bulk items at the curb. Contractor-generated yard waste will reportedly not be collected.
As for storm debris, impacted residents should place debris on the public right-of-way if it is safe to do so, city leaders said.
Here are some other safety tips to be aware of, according to Largo city leaders:
- Do not burn trash in yards.
- Please limit travel and treat intersections with non-operational traffic lights as four-way stops.
- Check power status updates at Duke-energy.com/outages/current-outages.
- If you’ve lost power and are using a generator, set it up outside in a well-ventilated area, away from doors, windows, and vent openings. Never use a generator inside a garage, even with the door open, as the exhaust can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Water-damaged power outlets can be a fire hazard. Keep your power off after home flooding until an electrician has inspected the outlets.
- Use caution when operating chainsaws to clear downed trees and branches. Wear proper safety gear, including eye and hearing protection, heavy work gloves, and sturdy work boots.
What if my home was damaged?
- 9-1-1 is for reporting life-threatening emergencies only – do not call to report damages or power outages. Report any damage to roads or public infrastructure using the Pinellas County Service Requests platform: Service Requests - Pinellas County (seeclickfix.com).
- Report damage to your home to Pinellas County at: Resident Damage Reporting (arcgis.com). Your damage must also be reported to your insurance company.
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov for help applying for FEMA assistance and other resources.
- Photograph and document all property damage to assist with filing an insurance claim.
- Prevent further damage to your property, such as placing a tarp on damaged roofs. Insurance may not cover additional damage that occurs after the storm.
- If you need hotel accommodations in non-evacuation zones, visit visitstpeteclearwater.com/info/pre-storm-information.
For more updates, call Largo City Hall at (727) 587-6700 until 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, city leaders said.
