PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — On Wednesday evening, Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key on Florida's Gulf Coast.
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 community recovers.
Here's what you need to know for Pasco County:
FORECAST
See the continuing forecast for the area here. Find the latest weather alerts here.
Ongoing impacts:
- Flood warnings for the Withlacoochee River at US 301 Trilby, Anclote River at Elfers at Little Road, and Cypress Creek at SR-54 Worthington Gardens are in effect.
EVACUATIONS
Pasco County government recommended voluntary evacuations for Elfers, Cypress Creek at Worthington Gardens, Thousand Oaks and anyone in low-lying or flood-prone areas due to historic river flooding brought by Milton.
The mandatory evacuation order for Zones A, B and C and mobile homes was lifted.
SHELTERS
You can find an interactive map with the latest shelters and their occupancy here.
The following locations are being used as shelters:
- Veterans Memorial Park, 14339 Hicks Rd, Hudson
- Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel
- Fasano Regional Hurricane Center, 11611 Denton Avenue, Hudson **Special Needs Only**
POWER
Duke Energy customers should have power restored by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday. TECO customers should have power by 11:59 p.m. Monday.
TECO: You can find the latest power outages here.
Duke Energy: You can find the latest power outages here.
WATER SERVICE
The City of Zephyrhills issued a notice on its website asking residents to refrain from flushing toilets, as this is causing the biggest issue for the city's sewer system, which is already "under extreme strain."
Residents are also asked to limit the use of potable water to help reduce pressure on the system.
DISTRIBUTION POINTS
Pasco County has set up four Points of Distribution (PODs) to provide supplies to residents in need.
All sites are open to drive-in customers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the following locations:
- Hudson Library Parking Lot (8012 Library Rd, Hudson)
- Dade City Fairgrounds Parking Lot (36722 County Rd 52, Dade City)
- St. Vincent DePaul Parking Lot (4843 Mile Stretch, Holiday)
- Zephyrhills Location (5435 Gall Blvd, Zephyrhills)
Supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The county also opened multiple comfort stations that are open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at these locations:
- Hudson Regional Library (8012 Library Road, Hudson)
- Sea Ranch Civic Association (13711 Veronica Drive, Hudson)
- South Holiday Library (4649 Mile Stretch, Holiday)
- UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County One Stop Shop (15029 14th St., Dade City)
- Zephyrhills Public Library (5404 8th St., Zephyrhills)
The stations may offer one or more of the following amenities:
- Showers
- Restrooms
- Laundry facilities
- Air conditioning
- Charging stations
MEALS
Multiple community organizations continue to provide free meals for those impacted by Hurricane Milton. The following locations will provide meals on Tuesday:
- West Zephyrhills Elementary School, 4-6 p.m. (Feeding Tampa Bay)
- 37900 14th Ave., Zephyrhills
- Walmart, 12 p.m. (Operation BBQ Relief)
- 7631 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills
DEBRIS REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL
There are two options for Pasco County residents to get rid of storm and flood-related debris. Drop off debris for free at one of two locations or separate and pile the debris on your curb. Anyone opting for the pick-up option should be mindful of delays due to flooding.
Here are the debris drop-off locations:
- East Pasco Transfer Station, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (9626 Handcart Road, Dade City)
- West Pasco Resource Recovery, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. (14606 Hays Road, Spring Hill)
SANDBAGS
Pasco County Emergency Management has the following two sandbag stations available 24/7:
- Magnolia Valley Golf Course, 7223 Massachusetts Avenue, New Port Richey
- Pasco County Public Works (C-Barn), 30908 Warder Road, Texas
The following two additional sandbag sites are open from sunrise to sunset until further notice:
- Ben Harrill Recreation Complex, 2830 Gulf Trace Boulevard, Holiday
- Pasco Fire Rescue Station #29, 6907 Dairy Road, Zephyrhills
CLOSINGS
Schools
Pasco County schools will remain closed on Monday. Staff will return Tuesday for a planning day, while students will return to class on Wednesday.
Athletics and other afterschool activities will resume as safety allows.
County parks, preserves and recreation centers
The following Pasco County parks and recreation complexes are closed until further notice due to ongoing cleanup efforts:
- Anclote Gulf Park
- Anclote River Park
- Coastal Anclote Trail
- Crews Lake Wilderness Park
- Eagle Point
- Robert K. Rees Memorial Park
- J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex
- Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
- John S. Burks Memorial Park
- Land O'Lakes Heritage Park
- Land O'Lakes recreation Complex
- Middle Lake Park
- Oakridge Park
- Peterson Park
- Pine Hill Park
- Sam Pasco Athletic Park
- San Antonio Athletic Complex
- Stanley Park
- Sunwest Park
- Trilby Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Wesley Chapel District Park
- W.H. Jack Mitchell Jr. Park
- Withlacoochee River Park
- Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus
GoPasco Public Transit
GoPasco has resumed most fixed-route bus services. However, Routes 25 and 18 are not in service on Monday, Oct. 14. Other detours and delays should be expected due to road closures.
County offices
All Pasco County offices are closed to the public on Monday, Oct. 14.
Senior Services will close all centers and will not be providing meal delivery or congregate meal service until further notice. Pasco County libraries and animal services are closed until further notice.
