Gulfport, Florida mayor Sam Henderson’s update to Gulfportians included asking people to stay put throughout the storm.Justin Shea/City of Gulfport
Gulfport, Florida Mayor Sam Henderson has a message for Gulfportians: If you haven’t gotten to where you need to be, get there. If you have, stay there.
“Time is running out on us,” Henderson said. “If you have not gotten to where you need to be, get there now.”
Henderson discouraged people from leaving their homes during the storm, reminding them that if the situation gets worse, emergency personnel might not be able to offer assistance.
Although Gulfport has yet to see any real storm surge (the current saltwater in the streets comes from the King Tide and is a regular occurrence in recent years), Pinellas County officials told City officials they expect “long-duration storm surge.” That means people should plan for all-day flooding in Pinellas County.
Among other points in the mayor’s message: The City has closed all facilities, including Williams Pier. Pending no changes in track or unforeseen events, the City plans to re-open buildings Thursday, Aug. 31.
Justin Shea, Gulfport’s Cultural Facilities Events Supervisor, told The Gabber Newspaper that if much of the City did not have power Wednesday, Aug. 30, the City would request “cooling buses” from PTSA. These stationary buses would have space for people to sit in the air conditioning.
Sandbags in Gulfport
After distributing more than 12,950 sandbags — more than one for every resident in the City — Gulfport has closed its sandbag station.
Gulfport, Florida Call Center
The City of Gulfport Call Center, 727-893-1000, will operate until 8 p.m. tonight and re-open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.
Fallen Power Lines in Gulfport
If you see a fallen power line, call 911. Do not touch any downed lines.
Gulfport Power Outages
Anyone who loses power should text “OUT” to 57801. If texting isn’t an option, call 1-800-228-8485. People can also report outages online to Duke; that link will also show an outage map.
Watch Mayor Sam Henderson’s 4 p.m. Aug. 29 update:
Do you know your Pinellas evacuation zone? You can find it here. • Read all The Gabber Newspaper’s Idalia updates.
Both Pinellas County and The Gabber Newspaper encourage residents and visitors to get their forecast updates at the National Hurricane Center. The NHC releases updated forecasts and advisories at 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m., and 11 p.m. We strongly discourage readers from taking weather advice from any other models.
Timely Holiday
Florida’s annual “Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday” will run through Friday, Sept. 8. That means Floridians can buy things such as generators, dish soap, and batteries without paying the state sales tax. Here’s the list of items included in the Disastar Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
