Pinellas County and Indian Shores declare a Local State of Emergency.
The County declared their state of emergency this morning. The Indian Shores Town Council met at a duly noticed Emergency Town Council Meeting at 12 PM, September 24, 2024, where Mayor Diantha Schear read the Proclamation Declaring a Local State of Emergency for the Town of Indian Shores. Click Tropical Storm Helene Proclamation (pdf) to read in its entirety.
Tropical Storm Helene Updates
- The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners declared a State of Local Emergency for Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to become a major hurricane.
- A Hurricane Watch, Storm Surge Watch and Flood Watch are in effect for Pinellas County. Significant and possibly life-threatening hurricane, storm surge flooding and flash flood conditions are possible in Pinellas County. The current forecast calls for higher storm surge than Tampa Bay has experienced in recent history, with higher storm surge impacting the county for a longer time period than during Hurricane Idalia. The biggest impacts are currently expected throughout the day on Thursday.
- Residents are urged to check their emergency plans and evacuation zone, sign up for Alert Pinellas, and be prepared to act quickly as additional storm information is shared throughout the day on this webpage. Find resources for preparing below.
- No evacuations have been ordered as of 11:45 a.m. today, but residents are urged to continue monitoring the storm on this page and through local news sources.
- Residents with storm preparedness questions can call the County Information Center at 727-464-4333. For the latest forecast information, see hurricanes.gov and weather.gov/tampa.
- If you suspect price gouging, report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.
- Updates will be posted at disaster.pinellas.gov, sent out via Alert Pinellas and Ready Pinellas, and on Facebook @PinellasGov and X @PinellasGov
Click Emergency Information for more details and helpful links for special needs assistance, storm shelters, storm preparations and more.
Indian Shores Updates
Town Hall will close to the public at noon on Wednesday, September 25, due to the approaching storm. Depending on the storm's impact, we will provide updates on whether Town Hall will reopen for business on Thursday.
Island re-entry passes will be available for pickup until 4:00 PM Tuesday, September 24, and from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Wednesday, September 25, at the Indian Shores Police Department located on the 2nd Floor of Town Hall. You must present a valid form of identification for proof of residency or ownership in Town.
The Sandbag Station at 193rd and West of Vista Lane is open for Indian Shores residents and property owners only. Please note that there is a 10-bag limit “per residence” while supplies last.
Visit our Hurricane and Severe Weather Preparedness page for valuable tips and information on pre and post storm preparations.
Please stay tuned to your local news media and the Town's Newsflash page for the latest storm updates.