TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay-area businesses and services are making several closures ahead of potential impacts from Hurricane Helene.
The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area. It is expected to become the season's next hurricane by Wednesday.
Here's a running list of closures throughout the Tampa Bay area.
Hillsborough County closures
City offices, facilities, parks and recreational complexes
All Hillsborough County offices and facilities are closing Thursday to allow staff to focus on emergency response efforts. This includes libraries, parks, preserves and recreation centers.
Additionally, county leaders announced that all public meetings have been postponed.
The Water Resources Career Fair, which was originally scheduled for Saturday has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.
All conservation parks and nature preserves close at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Neighborhood parks, athletic complexes and the New Tampa Performing Arts Center will remain open.
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office will remain closed through Friday. Customers can still access different services online at hillstax.org.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26. Normal operations will resume on Friday, Sept. 27. This also applies to Adventure Island.
All date-intended tickets for closure days have been extended through Sept. 30.
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
TPA will suspend all commercial and cargo operations beginning at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26. The main terminal and airside will not be open for public use.
The airport anticipates reopening on Friday, Sept. 27 following a damage assessment and pending storm conditions.
Port Tampa Bay
Port Tampa Bay announced it is closing inbound and outbound vessel traffic, however landside operations will continue as long as it is safe.
Officials did not say when operations would resume but say Helene will impact their cruise schedule.
Here are the customer service lines for cruise lines sailing from Port Tampa Bay:
- Carnival Cruise Line: 1-800-764-7419
- Margaritaville at Sea: 1-800-814-7100
- Royal Caribbean International: 1-800-256-6649
Tampa trash pickup
Tampa's Department of Solid Waste is suspending garbage, recycling and yard waste on Thursday.
This includes Downtown Tampa commercial collection, SWEEP and Special Pickup service, McKay Bay Transfer Station and Scale House and Litter Skimmer water clean-up and collection.
The University of South Florida announced that all classes will be canceled beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will not resume until Monday, Sept. 30.
All USF campuses will also be closed from Wednesday through at least Friday, Sept. 27. The plan is to reopen campuses on Saturday if the weather allows.
Straz Center
The Straz Center will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 in anticipation of tropical weather. The scheduled performance of Jobsite Theater's "POTUS" is canceled.
All classes and activities at the Patel Conservatory are also canceled for Thursday.
Weather conditions permitting, the Straz will reopen on Friday, Sept. 27.
The Florida Aquarium
The Florida Aquarium will be closed on Thursday. Officials said they have been working to stormproof its campus ahead of its closure Thursday.
"Ensuring all animals have adequate food, oxygen and medical supplies, preparing meals and moving some animals to temporary habitats on higher levels of the aquarium," The Florida Aquarium said Wednesday.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
ZooTampa is closed on Thursday, according to its website. However, park officials said they plan on reopening Friday.
"We are currently planning to resume normal park operations on Friday (including the Creatures of the Night member preview event)," ZooTampa said Wednesday. "Following a thorough assessment of the entire zoo."
Pinellas County closures
St. Pete Pier
The St. Pete Pier is closing at 2 p.m. Wednesday, but officials say individual restaurants in the area may have different hours of operation.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)
PIE will close after the last flight arrives on Wednesday, Sept. 25, which is scheduled for 10:42 p.m.
The airport plans to reopen on Friday, Sept. 27 depending on storm conditions.
St. Petersburg trash pickup
Residential trash and recycling will not be available on Thursday, and will instead be collected on Saturday. Officials ask you to secure all cans when doing storm preparations.
Brush sites will close Thursday with plans to reopen Friday, weather permitting.
St. Petersburg city services
All St. Pete city facilities will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The city's code enforcement board meeting is canceled on Wednesday. Additionally, all St. Pete City Council meetings and committee meetings are canceled for Thursday.
The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections offices are closing Thursday and plan to reopen by Friday
Pinellas Park city services
The City of Pinellas Park will be closing city offices and facilities this Friday, Sept. 27.
Those closures include Barbara S. Ponce Library and all City recreation centers.
City officials have reportedly opened their emergency operations center and are coordinating with Pinellas County and other state agencies.
If roads are deemed safe, waste management crews will resume pick- up on the afternoon of Friday, September 27, 2024, and will extend into Saturday, September 28, 2024, officials said.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside announced it is closing all administrative and construction sites on Thursday. Home dedications scheduled between Thursday through Saturday are also postponed and are rescheduled to Monday.
Tarpon Springs city services
All city offices close at 2 p.m. Wednesday and expect to open on Friday.
Other closures in Tarpon Springs on Wednesday include Recreation Center classes (5 p.m.), Community Center (5 p.m.), Municipal Golf Course (5 p.m.), Cycadia Cemetery (2 p.m.), Tarpon Springs Library (2 p.m.) , Heritage Museum and Safford House Museum (2 p.m.), Splash Park and Dog Park and all city parks and beaches (3 p.m.).
Melissa Etheridge and Jewel concert at The BayCare Sound
The concert, which was scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, has been canceled. Ticket holders are asked to contact the Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall for refunds and credits.
Sarasota County closures
County-wide services
All solid waste collection services and facilities are closed on Thursday. Officials urge anyone with items places at the curb to bring them inside for the remainder of the storm.
Sarasota County officials anticipate shutting off water service early Thursday morning, out of an abundance of caution to protect water supply infrastructure.
Pasco County closures
Government offices and services
Pasco County government offices are closing Thursday in anticipation of "deteriorating weather conditions."
Additionally, senior services, county parks and boat ramps are closed until further notice.
Animal services are also closed until Saturday.
Pasco County government officials say the GoPasco bus services remain available to provide transportation to shelters, but say services could be suspended based on weather conditions.
Hernando County closures
Florida Department of Health
All Florida Department of Health offices in Hernando County are closed until further notice.
Tampa Bay area-wide services
Florida Blue
Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan is closing several of its locations until Friday, including in Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota and North Port.
Several other locations in Tampa, Dunedin, St. Pete and Largo are closing only on Thursday.
More than two dozen Tampa Bay-area Publix locations are closing Wednesday night through Thursday.
This includes stores in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
"Please keep in mind, hours may be adjusted, and the status of individual stores are subject to change based on Hurricane Helene’s track and projected impacts," officials stated in a release.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo branches in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties will be closed on Thursday. Officials did not say if the closure would extend beyond then.
As more closures are announced, this story will be updated.