Pinellas County To Open 2 Shelters Ahead Of Tropical Storm Elsa

Press release from the Pinellas County Government:

July 5, 2021

• Pinellas County will open two shelters at 9 a.m. Tuesday for residents seeking emergency shelter from Tropical Storm Elsa.
• The Lealman Exchange shelter, located at 5175 45th St. N in St. Petersburg, will open for the general population, those with special needs and persons with pets.
• Ross Norton Recreation Center shelter, located at 1426 S. Martin Luther King Jr Ave. in Clearwater, will open to the general population.
• Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will offer free rides to the two shelters starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Pets will be permitted on evacuation buses as long as they are in a pet carrier. The latest information on PSTA bus service can be obtained by calling the InfoLine at 727-540-1900 or by visiting their website at

Advice & Information for Residents

• Residents who need to evacuate to a shelter are encouraged to pack an essential “Go Bag” items, but pack light (see list below). Space is very limited.
• Social distancing space (6 feet by 6 feet) will be provided to the extent possible. Residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines regarding face coverings.

Suggested “Go Bag” items:

• Cloth masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectant 
• Medications and copies of prescriptions 
• Nonperishable food 
• Special dietary food that is nonperishable 
• Drinking water; minimum one gallon per person per day.
• Bedding for a small space 
• Infant or child necessities (wipes, diapers, bottles) 
• Personal hygiene items 
• Change of clothes 
• Eyeglasses 
• Quiet games, toys or reading materials 
• Important papers and valid ID 
• Cash and phone contact list 

Before leaving home:

• Gather valuables and important papers 
• Turn off all utilities (water, electricity, gas) at main switches 
• Lock windows and doors 
• Fill gas tanks 
• Monitor local news media, National Weather Service, www.pinellascounty.org, Facebook @PinellasCountyNews and Twitter @PinellasCoNews, search hashtag #PCElsa.
• Register for emergency alerts at http://www.pinellascounty.org/alertpinellas.
• Preregister for special needs shelters by calling the County Information Center at (727) 464-4333. Pre-registration is recommended for those transporting themselves. For those needing transportation assistance, registration is required. (Residents only need to register for special needs shelters once per season, so doing it now will help you for the rest of the year).

Further preparedness info:

• Finish housing preps before arrival of storm force winds. Remove dead leaves and branches in accordance with your city arborist recommendations. Bring in all large yard items, such as furniture, grills and bird baths. For more simple steps to make your home storm ready check out the 2021 Hurricane Preparedness Guide.
• Pinellas County has launched a new Tropical Storm Surge Flooding Risk map to show residents their risk from Tropical Storm Elsa at https://storm.pinellascounty.org.
• While no evacuation has been ordered, low-lying and coastal areas may still experience several feet of storm surge. Residents and businesses can look up their storm surge risk at https://storm.pinellascounty.org.
• Finalize preparedness plans: http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.