ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In the spirit of staying prepared and informed this hurricane season, residents of Pinellas County will be able to pick up sandbags devoid of long lines.
The county is opening a self-service sandbag pickup site Friday for unincorporated residents at 2855 109th Ave N. in St. Petersburg. It’ll be open year-round Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the county said.
People are encouraged by the county to get their sandbags early because sites might not be available right before a storm hits.
Five free emergency preparedness events, hosted by county and municipal partners, will also provide residents with more sandbags and information about other critical activities they would need to focus on as they prepare themselves for a storm.
The event schedule and other supplemental information about flood barriers can be found on the county’s website.
Pinellas County said sandbags are only recommended for those who may experience flooding of up to 15 inches. They won’t stop the water completely, the county said, but they will stop a certain amount of water from entering their home. For larger storms, the sandbags won’t be effective for surges and waves.
Residents are encouraged to pick up at least 10 sandbags at either the new site or any of the emergency preparedness events as about 10 are needed to protect one doorway.