ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Update: Access to Pinellas County's barrier islands has reopened to residents, business owners and employees. Tap here for the latest coverage.
Original story:
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is set to shut down access to the Barrier Islands at 6 p.m. Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Helene, the agency said in a news release.
The following islands will be closed to residents and visitors until further notice, according to deputies:
- Belleair Beach
- Belleair Shore
- Clearwater Beach
- Dunedin Causeway/ Honeymoon Island
- Indian Rocks Beach
- Indian Shores
- Madeira Beach
- North Redington Beach
- Redington Beach
- Redington Shores
- St. Pete Beach
- Tierra Verde
- Treasure Island
In addition to the Barrier Islands, the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and the Howard Frankland Bridge have all been shut down ahead of the storm's landfall.
As of the latest advisory, National Hurricane Center forecasters are describing Category 3 Hurricane Helene as a "very dangerous major hurricane" that is expected to bring damaging hurricane winds and storm surge Thursday evening to the Florida Bend.
For the latest trajectory on Hurricane Helene, click here.
We will continue to provide the latest information through your 10 Tampa Bay hurricane headquarters.
