Hurricane Irma's projected path is becoming clearer and state leaders are urging Floridians to prepare for the worst.
Evacuation orders have been issued and shelters are opening.
Here's a list of shelters, evacuation zones and other need-to-know information as Hurricane Irma approaches:
SHELTERS
Pinellas County
For a list of Pinellas County Shelters, click here.
Hillsborough County
For a list of Hillsborough County Shelters, click here.
Pasco County
For a list of Pasco County shelters, click here.
Polk County
For a list of Polk County shelters, click here.
Sarasota County
For a list of Sarasota County Shelters, click here.
Manatee County
For a list of Manatee County Shelters, click here.
Hernando County
For a list of Hernando County Shelters, click here.
EVACUATION ZONES
For a searchable map of Pinellas County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
For a searchable map of Hillsborough County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
For a searchable map of Pasco County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
For a searchable map of Manatee County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
For a searchable map of Sarasota County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
For a searchable map of Hernando County evacuation zones, click here, or for a PDF, click here.
HOSPITALS
Palms of Pasadena hospital began evacuating patients to St. Pete General Hospital Friday morning. Almost done as of 11:15 AM. Any patients presenting to the ER during evacuation will be screened and treated as appropriate. Once all patients evacuated, hospital will suspend service.
Manatee Memorial Hospital has decided to shut down because it's in a mandatory evacuation zone. It has diverted EMS from taking any new patients to the emergency room and hopes to close the ER by 7 PM Friday. The hospital is beginning to evacuate its 206 patients and plans to shut down the entire hospital by 7 PM Saturday. Most patients will be transferred to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Some babies in the NICU will go to All Children's Hospital in St. Pete. Manatee Memorial will assess the building for damage after the storm passes to determine when to re-open.
TRANSPORTATION
Bridges to Anna Maria Island will close to westbound traffic Saturday at 6 p.m. All those who need to get on the island after that must present law enforcement with two forms of I.D.
Tampa International Airport will shut down operations Saturday at 8 p.m.
St Pete-Clearwater Airport will close at 11 a.m. Friday until further notice.
Sarasota County Area Transit will suspend regular bus service and the Siesta Key Breeze at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. All fares will be suspended Sept. 9 to assist in any evacuations.
Manatee County Area Transit will suspend services on Friday. Handy Bus services will also be suspended except for previously scheduled dialysis trips on Friday and Saturday. The suspension could last until Sept. 13.
The Florida Department of Transportation has suspended tolls in Florida.
CLOSURES
All Bradenton city offices will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
Publix stores throughout the Tampa Bay area will close Saturday at 8 p.m.
Sea World and Busch Gardens will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday and remain closed through Monday.
American Airlines has canceled all flights at SRQ between noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Monday, and Elite Airways has canceled its Sunday flights.
Sarasota Beaches are closed.
Hillsborough County offices and facilities are closed Monday.
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector offices will be closed and Monday.
The Pinellas County Tax Collector offices are closed Monday.
Clearwater has closed all non-essential city facilities (recreation centers, libraries, city office buildings, etc.) Saturday and Sunday.
Temple Terrace offices are closed through Monday.
Trash collection in Hillsborough County will not happen on Saturday and Monday.
St. Petersburg has closed all parks and recreation facilities, golf courses and libraries through Sunday.
Sunken Gardens is closed through Sunday.
The Dunedin public library and recreation centers will be closed on Saturday and Sunday. Solid waste pick-up scheduled for Monday is rescheduled for pickup on Tuesday.
Pinellas Park has closed city offices, public facilities and parks through Monday.
The Florida Aquarium will be closed on Sunday.
All elective services and procedures at the The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and clinics will be cancelled on Monday. The outpatient clinics will be closed. The Outpatient Pharmacy is closed Sunday.
The St. Petersburg office of the Veterans Benefits Administration are closed on Monday.
Manatee County Area Transit Handy Bus services will also be suspended except for previously scheduled dialysis trips on Saturday. The suspension could last until Wednesday.
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is closed Friday.
Hernando’s Pine Island Park, 10840 Pine Island Drive, is closed until further notice due to potential flooding.
All Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library events have been cancelled until Tuesday.
The Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Board of Commission Meeting and Budget Hearing scheduled for Monday will be cancelled and rescheduled.
The City of Tarpon Springs announced the following closings: Municipal Golf Course, Sunday; Cycadia Cemetery, Saturday and Sunday; Tarpon Springs Library, Saturday and Sunday.
Bobby Jones Golf Club in Sarasota is closed starting Saturday.
YMCA of the Suncoast will be closed through Monday.
CANCELLATIONS
The USF football game at the University of Connecticut has been cancelled because of travel concerns. Florida State University and the University of Florida have also cancelled their home games against Louisiana-Monroe and Northern Colorado respectively.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday game against the Miami Dolphins has been rescheduled to Nov. 19 in Miami.
The Friday event at Amalie Arena featuring comedians Chris Tucker and D.L. Hughley has been rescheduled to October 7.
The Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall has canceled performances of The Guys scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Two shows at the Capitol Theater in Clearwater - Adam Ant on Friday night and Steve Earle on Saturday night - have both been postponed. Adam Ant is rescheduled for Jan. 31.
The Bryan Adams show scheduled for Sunday at Clearwater’s Coachman Park has been postponed.
The memorial ceremony for Snooty the manatee at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton has been postponed from Sunday to Sept. 24.
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Empress of the Seas originally scheduled to arrive on Saturday at Port Tampa Bay will now arrive mid-morning on Friday. The Saturday sailing has been cancelled.
The Tampa Boat Show, which was scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed until Oct. 13-15. For more information, visit www.tampaboatshow.com.
The Bay Pines VA Health Care System ceremony, POW/MIA Remembrances , originally scheduled for Tuesay, has been postponed. Contact the Bay Pines VA Public Affairs at 727-398-9531 or email vhabaypublicaffairs@va.gov.
The Pinellas County Mobile Collection event planned for this Saturday at the SPC Allstate Center, 3200 34th St. S., has been cancelled.
USF Botanical Gardens' Gesneriad Celebration scheduled for Saturday has been cancelled.
USF Sarasota-Manatee is canceling its upcoming “What now, Cuba?” seminar, which had been scheduled for next Monday. Tickets will be fully refunded automatically.
Palm Harbor Fire Rescue has postponed the 9/11 memorial service planned for Monday at Curlew Hills Memorial Gardens.
The Manatee County Fire Chief’s Association has postponed the 9/11 memorial service scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday at Rossi Riverfront Park.
The Greater Palm Harbor YMCA has postponed its Kids Triathlon “Swim, Bike, Run For Freedom” to Sept. 24.
The Heranando YMCA has cancelled its Freedom Run 5K scheduled for Saturday and its 16th Annual Run to Remember scheduled for Monday.
Tarpon Springs is cancelling the following meetings: Heritage Preservation Board Meeting on Monday, Budget Advisory Committee on Thursday and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday.
The Night in the Islands event in Tarpon Springs on Saturday has been canceled.
The Rotary Triathlon scheduled for Sunday in Tarpon Springs has been canceled.
SCHOOLS
Gov. Scott directed all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities (see below) and state offices to be closed Friday through Monday.
COLLEGES
All campuses of the University of South Florida will be closed through Monday.
The University of Tampa will be closed through Monday.
Pasco-Hernando State College will be closed through Monday.
Florida Gulf Coast University will be closed Friday.
Stetson University College of Law closed Friday.
Florida Polytechnic University will be closed through Tuesday morning, at the earliest.
SANDBAGS
Pasco County
For a list of sandbag locations in Pasco County, click here.
Pinellas County
For a list of sandbag locations in Pinellas County, click here.
Hillsborough County
For a list of sandbag locations in Hillsborough County, click here.
Tampa
For a list of Tampa sandbag locations, click here.
Hernando County
The following sites will be open from 8 a.m. to sundown. Bring your own shovel.
- Hernando County Department of Public Works, 1525 East Jefferson St., Brooksville
- Hernando County Fire Rescue Station 1, 1479 Parker Ave., Spring Hill
- Ridge Manor Community Center, 34240 Cortez Blvd., Dade City
- Fire Station 2, 3445 Bob Hartung Court, Spring Hill
Polk County
For a list of Polk County sandbag locations, click here.
Sarasota County
Residents should bring their own bags to the following locations.
- Phillippi Estate Park: 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
- Newtown Estates Park: 2800 Newtown Blvd, Sarasota
- Twin Lakes Park: 6700 Clark Rd, Sarasota
- South County Fleet Facility: 4571 SR 776/Englewood Road, Venice
- Behind Venice City Hall: 401 W. Venice Ave., Venice
- Big Earth Landscape Supply, 6625 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota.
Manatee County
- Wellfield Police Range off Pinebrook Road, Venice
- Buffalo Creek Park: 7550 69th St E, Palmetto
- G.T. Bray Park: 5502 33rd Ave Dr W, Bradenton
- Lakewood Ranch Park: 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton
- Stormwater Ops: 5511 39th St E, Bradenton
- Rubonia Community Center: 1309 72nd St E, Palmetto
OTHER
St. Petersburg officials are urging residents to wash laundry and run dishwashers ahead of the approaching storm to avoid putting unneeded stress on the city’s beleaguered sewage system during periods of heavy rainfall.
