ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sandbag sites will be open across the Tampa Bay area ahead of impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia.
It's important to remember that sandbags will help your home and property from minor flooding, not storm surges. They can be heavy! Fill them halfway up and tie them closed.
Once you have your sandbags in hand, place one on the ground and place the new bag on the tail (or tied end) of the old bag. Stagger the next layer like bricks.
10 Tampa Bay chief meteorologist Bobby Deskins has a helpful Hurricane Hack on sandbags that you can watch before you load up your car.
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See the list of sandbag sites below. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Citrus County
Sites will be open continuously starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 — people are asked to bring a shovel:
- Crystal River: Bicentennial Park, located at 501 N. Baseball Point
- Crystal River: Crystal River Firehouse at 650 NW 3rd Avenue
- Homosassa: Homosassa Community Park, 4210 S. Grandmarch Ave.
Hernando County
Hernando County officials have opened three sandbag locations every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until further notice. A limited supply of sand will be available, and people are asked to bring their own shovels.
The sites can be seen below:
- Spring Hill: Linda Pedersen Park, 6300 Shoal Line Blvd.
- Spring Hill: Anderson Snow Park, 1360 Anderson Snow Rd.
- Ridge Manor: Ridge Manor Community Center, 34240 Cortez Blvd.
- Brooksville: Brooksville Dept. of Public Works, 600 South Brooksville Avenue
County officials recommend the following to fill each sandbag best:
- Fill bags 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full
- Over-filled bags will result in a leaky sandbag wall
- Stack sandbags so that the seams between the bags are staggered
- Tuck the top of each bag under to ensure that that bag is sealed by its own weight
Hillsborough County
Beginning Sunday, Aug. 27, the city of Tampa says it will open three sandbag distribution sites in the area. From 8 a.m. to noon, seniors and residents with special needs can go pick up a sandbag. The general public can collect theirs from noon to 7 p.m. The sites can be seen below:
- Himes Avenue Complex, 4501 S. Himes Ave.
- Al Barnes Park, 2902 N. 32nd St.
- MacFarlane Park, 1700 N. MacDill Ave.
After Sunday, all sites will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.
To receive a sandbag, Tampa residents must show identification that verifies they live within city limits, such as a driver's license, utility bill or electric bill. A 10-bag limit will be placed for all residents.
"We cannot stress enough how important it is to be prepared for a major storm," Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp said in a statement. "We are urging all Tampa residents to review your evacuation zone and prepare a disaster kit for an evacuation or for a prolonged power outage. Additionally, make a plan to check on your elderly neighbors and family members to make sure they are prepared."
Other sandbag locations in Hillsborough County are listed below. They are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28. Residents are asked to not arrive at one of the locations before 9 a.m. as gates do not open until that time.
- Plant City: Edward Medard Conservation Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Rd.
- Ruskin: E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave. N.W.
- Tampa: Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Dr.
- Tampa: Larry Sanders Sports Complex, 5855 S. 78th St.
Each family is allowed a maximum of 10 sandbags and residents must show ID to verify they live in the county.
Manatee County
Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28, Manatee County will have the following sites open for self-serving sandbag stations:
- Holmes Beach: Manatee Beach, 4000 Gulf Dr.
- Bradenton Beach: Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Dr.
- Anna Maria Island: Bayfront Park, 310 North Bay Blvd.
- Palmetto: Rubonia, 1309 72nd St. E.
- Bradenton: 66th Street West Fleet Building, 4700 66th St. W.
- Bradenton: Pride Park, 6032 9th St. E.
Pasco County
Sandbag sites are open 24 hours to residents and are restocked between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
People are asked to bring a shovel and be prepared to fill their own bags.
- Former Dade City Police Department building: 38042 Pasco Ave., Dade City
- Magnolia Valley Golf Course: 7223 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey
- W.H. Jack Mitchell, Jr. Park: 4825 Little Rd., New Port Richey
- Veterans Memorial Park: 14333 Hicks Road, Hudson
- Pasco County Public Works (C-Barn): 30908 Warder Road, San Antonio
- Wesley Chapel District Park: 7727 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel
- Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center: 3032 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
- Zephyrhills Fire Station-29: 6907 Dairy Rd., Zephyrhills
- 6420 Pine Hill Rd., New Port Richey
Pinellas County
St. Petersburg: Sandbags are offered all year long at the Pavement and Traffic Operations Building, located at 1744 9th Ave. N.
This weekend, it will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
City officials provided these tips to know before heading to the sandbag site:
- Each household receives a maximum of 10 sandbags.
- Staff will be on hand to assist seniors and others who may be unable to fill and load their own sandbags.
- Residents must provide proof of residence (such as a driver's license) to receive sandbags.
The city of St. Petersburg said there will also be eight sites open on Sunday, Aug. 27, and three sites the next day that will give free sandbags to those who need it.
Below are the self-service sandbag locations in St. Pete. Although you will have to build your own sandbag at these places, staff will assist on-site. They will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both days.
- Lake Vista Tennis Court Parking Lot, 12th St. S. & 60th Ave. S.
- Lakewood Sports Complex Parking Lot, 2001 Country Club Way S.
- Grandview Park Parking Lot, 3734-3814 6th St. S.
- Childs Park Pool Parking Lot, 1227 43rd St. S.
- Campbell Park Shelter Area Parking Lot, 1360 5th Ave. S. (Adjacent to Interstate 175)
- Azalea Athletic Fields Parking Lot, 1600 72nd St. N.
- Walter Fuller Soccer Field Parking Lot, 2800 75th St. N.
- Garden Club of St. Petersburg, 500 Sunset Dr. S.
Full-service sandbag locations where staff builds the sandbags and help residents loaf them into their cars can be found below. These are only open on Monday, Aug. 28.
- Northeast Park, 955 62nd Ave. NE.
- Lake Maggiore Shelter Area, 3601 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S.
- Northwest Swimming Pool Parking Lot, 2331 60th St. N.
Clearwater: Sand and bags will be available starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 28 at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex located at 2450 Drew St.
- This will be a self-service location, so please bring your own shovel. Staff will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pinellas Park: There will be multiple self-service sandbag locations for residents only. Residents will be allowed to get up to 10 bags each. Residents must show a water bill or valid driver's license. Locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28.
- Helen Howarth Park: 6301 94th Ave N. Pinellas Park
- Pinebrook Park: 7202 118th Ave N. Pinellas Park
- Broderick Park: 6101 66th Ave N. Pinellas Park
Dunedin: Sandbags will be available at the city of Dunedin Highlander Park parking lot from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Aug. 28 at 903 Michigan Blvd.
- There is a limit of 15 bags per resident or business owner.
- Sand, sandbags and shovels are available at the site
- Residents will need to proof of residency with either a driver's license or a recent utility bill
Pinellas County will also be opening sandbag distribution sites for unincorporated residents from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28 in preparation for a possible tropical storm:
- Palm Harbor: John Chesnut Sr. Park: 2200 East Lake Road
- Seminole: Walsingham Park: 12615 102nd Ave
Sandbags will be limited to 10 per vehicle. Residents will be required to show ID for proof of residency. Sand, bags and shovels will be provided. If you are not in unincorporated Pinellas County, check with your municipality for sandbag locations.
Polk County
There will be seven sandbag locations open in Polk County. However, it will only be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28. Those sites can be seen below:
- Mulberry: 900 N.E. 5th St.
- Lakeland: 8970 N. Campbell Rd.
- Fort Meade: 1061 N.E. 9th St.
- Frostproof: 350 County Rd. 630A
- Auburndale: 1701 Holt Rd.
- Dundee: 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. S.W.
- Poinciana Park: 5109 Allegany Rd.
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household.