TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay area is opening shelters ahead of anticipated impacts from Hurricane Milton.
Milton came on the scene on Saturday as a tropical storm. Early Monday morning, Milton kicked off a rapid intensification starting as a Category 2 storm. By noon, the storm had strengthened to a large Category 5 hurricane.
Parts of the Tampa Bay region have issued evacuation orders.
Here's a rundown of shelter locations — this list will be updated as more information is received:
Hardee County shelters
- Hilltop Elementary School (2401 US-17, Wauchula) (pet friendly)
- Bowling Green Elementary School (4530 Church Ave., Bowling Green) (pet friendly)
- Hardee Junior High School (240 US HWY 17 N Wauchula)
Hernando County shelters
- Hernando County will open a shelter at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the following locations:
- Challenger K-8 (13400 Elgin Blvd, Spring Hill) (special needs, general population and pet friendly)
- West Hernando Middle School (14325 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville) (general population and pet friendly)
- Enrichment Center (800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville) (general population and pet friendly)
Hillsborough County shelters
- Burnett Middle School, 1010 N Kingsway Rd, Seffner (pet-friendly)
- Durant High, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City (pet-friendly)
- Erwin Technical College (2010 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa) (special needs only, pet-friendly)
- Middleton High School, 4801 N 22nd St, Tampa (pet-friendly)
- Reddick Elementary School, 325 W. Lake Dr., Wimauma, FL 33598 (opens 7 p.m. Tuesday)
- Shields Middle School, 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin (at capacity)
- Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Hwy, Tampa (pet-friendly)
- Sumner High School (10650 Co. Rd. 672, Riverview) (special needs only, pet-friendly)
- Steinbrenner High School, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz, FL
33558 (pet-friendly) - Strawberry Crest High School (4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover) (special needs only, pet-friendly)
Pasco County shelters
The following shelters will open at noon on Monday, Oct. 7.
- Centennial Middle School (38505 Centennial Road, Dade City)
- Fivay High School (12115 Chicago Avenue, Hudson)
- Wesley Chapel High School (30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel)
- River Ridge Middle and High Schools (11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey)
- Fasano Regional Hurricane Center, (11611 Denton Avenue, Hudson) (Special needs only)
Pinellas County shelters
- Lealman Innovation Academy (4900 28th St. N., St. Petersburg)
- Clearwater Fundamental Middle School (1660 Palmetto St., Clearwater)
- Largo High School (410 Missouri Ave. N., Largo)
- Gibbs High School (850 34th St. S., St. Petersburg)
- Palm Harbor University High School (1900 Omaha St., Palm Harbor)
- Palm Harbor University High School Bldg. 19 (1900 Omaha St., Palm Harbor) (special needs)
- Dunedin Highland Middle School (70 Patricia Ave., Dunedin) (special needs)
- Oak Grove Middle School (1370 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater) (special needs)
- Belleair Elementary School (1156 Lakeview Rd., Clearwater)
- Melrose Elementary School (1752 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg)
Polk County shelters
The following shelters will open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- Auburndale High School (1 Bloodhound Trail, Auburndale)
- Spessard Holland Elementary School (2432 E.F. Griffin Road, Bartow)
- Citrus Ridge Academy (1775 Sand Mine Road, Davenport)
- Horizons Elementary School (1700 Forest Lake Dr., Davenport)
- George Jenkins High School (6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland)
- Highlands Grove Elementary (4510 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland)
- Kathleen High School (1100 Red Devil Way, Lakeland)
- R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School (5500 Yates Road, Lakeland)
- Sleepy Hill Elementary School (2285 Sleepy Hill Road, Lakeland)
- Mulberry Middle School (500 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Mulberry)
- Lake Marion Creek Middle School (3055 Lake Marion Creek Dr., Poinciana)
- Chain of Lakes Elementary School (7001 Hwy. 653, Winter Haven)
- Winter Haven High School (600 6th St. S.E., Winter Haven)
The following pet-friendly shelters will open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- Haines City High School (2800 Hornet Dr., Haines City)
- Lake Region High School (1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake)
- Tenoroc High School (4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland)
The following special needs shelters will open at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- FDOH Polk Specialty Care Unit (1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow)
- Ridge Community High School (500 W. Orchid Dr., Davenport)
- McKeel Academy (1810 W. Parker St., Lakeland)
Manatee County shelters
- Mills Elementary School (7200 69th St. East, Palmetto)
- Miller Elementary School (601 43rd St. West, Bradenton)
- Myakka Elementary School (37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City)
- Bayshore Elementary School (6120 26th St., Bradenton)
- Braden River High School (6545 SR 70 East, Bradenton)
- Braden River Middle School (6215 River Club Blvd., Bradenton)
- Buffalo Creek Middle School (7320 69th St. East, Palmetto)
- Daughtrey Elementary School (515 63rd Ave. East, Bradenton)
- Freedom Elementary School (9515 SR 64 East, Bradenton)
- Gullett Elementary School (12125 44th Ave. East, Bradenton)
- Haile Middle School (9501 SR 64 East, Bradenton)
- Harvey Elementary School (8610 115th Ave., Parrish)
- Johnson-Wakeland School of IB (2121 26th Ave. East, Bradenton)
- Kinnan Elementary School (3415 Tallevast Rd., Sarasota)
- Lee Middle School (4000 53rd Avenue West, Bradenton)
- Manatee High School (902 33rd Street Court West, Bradenton)
- McNeal Elementary School (6325 Lorraine Road, Bradenton)
- Oneco Elementary School (5214 22nd Street Court East, Bradenton)
- Prine Elementary School (3801 Southern Parkway, Bradenton)
- Rodgers Garden Elementary School (515 13th Ave West, Bradenton)
- Seabreeze Elementary School (3601 71st Street West, Bradenton)
- Tillman Elementary School (1415 29th Street East, Palmetto)
- Williams Elementary School (3404 Fort Hamer Road, Parrish)
- Willis Elementary School (14705 The Masters Avenue, Bradenton)
- Witt Elementary School (200 Rye Road, Bradenton)
Sarasota County shelters
- Atwater Elementary School (4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port)
- Booker High School (3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota)
- Brookside Middle School (3636 South Shade Ave., Sarasota)
- Fruitville Elementary School (601 Honore Ave., Sarasota)
- Gulf Gate Elementary School (6500 S. Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota)
- Heron Creek Middle School (6501 W. Price Blvd, North Port)
- North Port High School (6400 West Price Blvd, North Port)
- Phillippi Shores Elementary (4747 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota)
- Riverview High School (1 Ram Way, Sarasota)- Closed as of 9 a.m. Tuesday
- Southside Elementary School (1901 Webber St., Sarasota)
- Taylor Ranch Elementary (2500 Taylor Ranch Trail, Venice)
- Woodland Middle School Shelter (2700 Panacea Blvd., North Port)
Citrus County shelters
- Central Ridge Elementary School (open to general population) (185 West Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs)
- Citrus High School (open to general population) (600 West Highland Blvd., Inverness)
- Forest Ridge Elementary School (special needs) (2927 North Forest Ridge Blvd., Hernando)
- Renaissance Center (pet friendly) (3630 W Educational Path, Lecanto)
DeSoto County shelters
- Turner Center (2250 NE Roan St, Arcadia)
Highlands County shelters
- Avon Park Recreation Center (207 East State St., Avon Park)
- Lake Placid High School (202 Green Dragon Dr., Lake Placid)
- Highlands County Fair Convention Center (781 Magnolia Ave., Sebring)
- Bert J. Harris Agri-Civic Center (4509 George Blvd., Sebring) (special needs)
- Just Like Home Pet Hotel ( 3479 Davis Citrus Road, Avon Park) (Pets Only)
- Dawg House (69 Dawg House Drive Lake Placid) (Pets Only)
This story will be updated as more shelters become available across Tampa Bay.