UPDATED 6/5 AT 11:45 A.M. WITH MANATEE COUNTY INFORMATION
As the National Weather Service predicts heavy rainfall in the Tampa Bay area over the next few days due to a Tropical Storm Colin, a number of local counties are taking a variety of measures to prepare for the storm, including making sandbags available to residents.
Many counties are opening their emergency operations centers.
Pinellas County is urging residents to limit road travel on Monday as road conditions and visibility may be affected by the weather.
Pinellas also offered up to 20 sandbags per vehicle Sunday. from 7 a.m. to sunset at the following locations:
- John Chesnut Park, 2200 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor
- John Taylor Park, 1100 8th Ave. S.W., Largo
- Lealman Community Park, 3890 55th Ave. N., St. Petersburg
The county will provide shovels, sand and bags, residents will have to fill them themselves.
The City of St. Petersburg is making sandbags available Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the following locations:
- Northeast Park, 875 62nd Avenue NE
- Bartlett Park (Frank W. Pierce Recreation Center), 22nd Avenue S. between Sixth and Seventh Streets
In Hillsborough County, there is a limit of 25 sandbags per resident. Sandbag materials will be available to the public at all three County Public Works Service Units:
- West Service Unit at 9805 Sheldon Road
- South Service Unit at 8718 Old Big Bend Road
- East Service Unit at 4702 Sydney Road
The facilities will be open between noon and 4 p.m. Residents should bring shovels. Each resident must sign their name and provide their home address acknowledging the receipt of 25 sandbags or less.
Pasco County opens sand bag operations Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- West Pasco Government Center on State Street in New Port Richey (self-serve)
- J.W. Mitchell Park, 4025 Little Road, New Port Richey (self-serve)
- Veterans Memorial Park, 14333 Hicks Road, Hudson (self-serve)
- C-Barn, 30906 Warder Road, San Antonio (self-serve)
- Land O'Lakes Rec Center, 3032 Collier Parkway, Land O'Lakes (self-serve)
- Fire Station #2, 6907 Dairy Road, Zephyrhills (self-serve)
- Dade City Police Department, 38042 Pasco Avenue, Dade City (self-serve)
- 6240 Pine Hill Road, New Port Richey (self-serve)
Sand bags will be provided, but residents are encouraged to bring their own shovels.
The following locations will have inmate labor to assist citizens with sand bag filling from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
- West Pasco Government Center, 7356 State Street, New Port Richey
- J.W. Mitchell Park, 4025 Little Road, New Port Richey
Manatee County is offering up to ten bags per resident until 6 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at:
- Buffalo Creek Golf Course, 8100 69th Street East, Palmetto
- G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West, Bradenton
- Lakewood Ranch Ball Park, Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton
- Stormwater, 5511 39th Street East, Bradenton
- Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St E, Palmetto
- Holmes Beach Police Department (inside), 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach
