What’s Opened and Closed In Tampa Bay After Hurricane Milton
After a few stressful days and scary windy night, Milton has made its way out of Florida. The strong 70-90MPH winds has caused extensive damage across Tampa Bay and the west coast of Florida. While some are suffering from power outages and fallen trees, many people and businesses in the community are working hard to open back up. Here’s what we’ve seen open in Tampa Bay (so far). To be sure, call the business location near you to make sure they are still open.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3 storm in Siesta Key. We watched as it made extensive damage to the Tampa Bay area, especially St. Pete.
Related: Safety Tips To Recover From A Hurricane
Please only leave if evacuation orders in your county have been lifted. Officials have asked residents to not attempt to drive through the high waters. If you MUST leave your shelter, drive slowly and be alert on the roadways. Make a full stop at any broken stoplights to avoid any accidents. If you live in Hillsborough county, you can check this map to see if your area has been cleared to return. Sarasota County officials said access to the barrier islands, including Casey Key, Manasota Key, Siesta Key, and Longboat Key remain closed.
Water Boil Notice In Tampa Bay
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch this morning announced that sewage service has been restored. Residents serviced by the northeast and southwest plants may now flush toilets and take showers. Many cities are under a boil water notice including:
- Hillsborough County officials issue a precautionary boil water notice for residents experiencing low water pressure.
- Temple Terrace is under a notice as of 2:45 a.m. Thursday
- St. Petersburg, Gulfport, South Pasadena, and Lealman are under a water boil notice until Monday, Oct. 14.
- Venice residents have their water services back on but are under a boil water advisory for at least three days.
If the water is cloudy, filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter before boiling. Make sure the water has cooled before using for hygienic use, and be sure to cover and store properly.
Many businesses have decided to stay closed today due to flooded streets and debris. Some have opened to provide hot meals to those without power. Here’s what we know is opened and closed in Tampa Bay for Friday, October 11. We will keep this post updated as we learn if more places have opened.
Schools
Many schools will remain closed due to no power. Here are the updates as of 8am Saturday:
- Citrus County -All schools will be open Monday, October 14th.
- DeSoto County – All schools will be open Monday, October 14th.
- Highlands County – All schools will be open Monday, October 14th.
- Manatee County – The district noted it hopes to reopen to students on Tuesday, October 15th.
- Hillsborough County- All schools will remain closed on Monday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 15. Officials said their goal is to reopen Wednesday.
- Pasco County – All schools will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 15. Students will return on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
- Pinellas County – All schools will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 15. The district said students will return on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
- Sarasota County – All schools will remain closed on Monday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 15. The district will resume regular school hours on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Gas Stations
Many gas stations are slowly gaining back power and fuel. If you want to check locations in your area, click here.
See all the gas distribution sites here.
Grocery Stores
If you went through all your hurricane snacks or looking for a hot meal, some Publix stores are open with modified hours opening at noon. We highly recommend calling the store to confirm before you leave. You can also check here.
According Walmart’s store locator, a few locations across Tampa Bay are open. You can check the status of your local store here. A few Target locations across the area have reopened. Click here for the store locator map.
A few Aldi stores are open, many locations plan to reopen 9am Saturday. Here are the locations confirmed to be open:
- 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy, Tampa
- 8521 W. Hillsborough Ave, Tampa
- 3705 Tampa Road, Suite 13, Oldsmar
- 6765 22nd Ave N, St Petersburg
Local Restaurants
Local businesses are working hard to open up and provide hot meals and a place to relax. Here’s what we heard is open for lunch/dinner on Friday, October 11:
- Gen X Tavern
- Boulon (Dinner only)
- Union (Dinner only)
- Besito
- Riviters Tampa
- Fergs St. Pete
- The Nona Slice House – 4pm
- Santoro Pizzeria (Limited Menu)
- Chick-fil-A on the causeway in Brandon & 301
Bridges & Evacuation Zones
As of 12:30m on Thursday, Florida Highway Patrol reports that The Sunshine Skyway, Howard Frankland Bridge, Gandy Bridge and Courtney Campbell Causeway have all been reopened
As of 10:37am, Pinellas County officials have lifted the mandatory evacuation order for Zones A, B, and C and mobile homes. However again, there is still a lot of debris and broken traffic lights, so be extremely cautious if you plan on checking on your home.
Hillsborough County lifted the evacuation order for Zones A and B, and all mobile and manufactured homes throughout the county at 2 p.m.
Airports
After assessing the damage, Tampa International Airport will remain closed on Thursday and will reopen to the public on 8am on Friday, October 11.
St. Pete-Clearwater airport is still assessing the damage and does not have a reopening date at this time.
Waffle House
According to the Waffle House index, some stores have opened up across Tampa Bay. Again, we highly recommend you call the store before you leave!
We will continue to update this page as we receive more information.
