TAMPA, Fla. — After Hurricane Helene tore through multiple communities, officials are gearing up for Hurricane Milton this week. To prepare, some counties are opening free sandbag locations for residents.
Anyone living in areas that are prone to flooding should consider picking up sandbags.
PINELLAS COUNTY
- Sandbag locations are now closed
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Sandbag locations are now closed
City of Tampa
- Officials said the following sites will be open on Tuesday, October 8, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Himes Avenue Complex: 4501 S Himes Avenue, Tampa
- Al Barnes Park: 2902 N 32nd Street, Tampa
- Free tarps will be available while supplies last
MANATEE COUNTY
- Self-service sandbag locations are open from dawn until dusk at the following sites:
- 66th St. West Fleet Building, 4700 66th Street West., Bradenton
- Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd, Bradenton
- Blackstone Park, 2112 14th Avenue, Palmetto
- Buffalo Creek Park, 7550 69th St E, Palmetto
- Centre Lake, 65th Ave Cir E, Sarasota
- Dam Road, 1505 Dam Road
- Greenbrook Park, 6655 Greenbrook Blvd, Lakewood Ranch
- Island Library, 5701 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach
- Lakewood Ranch Park, 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton
- Myakka Community Center, 10060 Wauchula Road, Myakka City
- Ola Mae Sims Park, 11800 Erie Rd, Parrish
- Palma Sola Park, 7915 40th Ave W, Bradenton
- Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St E, Palmetto
- Rye Preserve, 905 Rye Wilderness Trail, Parrish
- Shadybrook, 955 Byron Pl, Sarasota
- Stormwater Facility, 5511 39th St E, Bradenton
- Sylvan Oaks Park, 715 17th St E, Palmetto
- Trailer Estates, Florida Blvd, Bradenton
SARASOTA COUNTY
Self-service sandbags will be offered to Sarasota residents on Tuesday, October 8 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th Street, Sarasota
- Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota
- Residents are limited to 10 bag per vehicle. Bags and sand will be provided. Residents asked to bring their own shovels.
POLK COUNTY
- Sandbag locations are open from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 8. A maximum of 10 pre-filled bags will be provided.
- Loyce E. Harpe Park, 500 W. Carter Road, Mulberry
- 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland
- 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade
- 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof
- 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale
- 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee
- 5109 Allegheny Road, Kissimmee
City of Winter Haven
- A sandbag station will open on Tuesday, October 8 at 7 a.m. and remain open until 1 p.m. or as long as is safe given the weather:
- Rueben Williams Sports Complex: 1751 7th St NE, Winter Haven
HIGHLANDS COUNTY
- Officials will hand out sandbags on Tuesday, October 7, starting at 8 a.m. until supplies last. Empty bags will be provided, and there will be a limit of 10 bags per person. Sandbag filling will be self-service.
- Road and Bridge office: 4344 George Blvd, Sebring
- Road and Bridge office: East Winthrop Street, Avon Park
- Road and Bridge office: County Road 621, Lake Placid
- Sand for sandbags are also available during daylight hours at the following locations (you must bring your own shovel):
- South George Boulevard just north of the Emergency Operations Center in Sebring
- Intersection of Old Bombing Range Road, County Road 17A and Isabelle Lake Road in Avon Park
- Intersection of County Road 621, County Road 619 and Highlands Lake Drive in Lake Placid
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
Florida nursing home patients were 'side by side, head to toe' with no air conditioning, food
