Tampa, Fla. (970 WFLA) - Hillsborough County has issued a mandatory evacuation for Evacuation Zone A starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, it said in a news release. The county has opened 16 shelters for residents in Evacuation Zone A, and whose homes are vulnerable to storm surge and flooding, and for manufactured homes that are susceptible to wind damage.
Below is the list of shelters now open to residents:
* Middleton High School, 4801 N 22nd Street in Tampa
* Simmons Career Center, 1202 W Grant Street in Plant City
* Shields Middle School, 15732 Beth Shields Ways in Ruskin (Pet-Friendly)
* Pizzo Elementary School, 11701 Bull Run in Tampa
* Cypress Creek Elementary School, 400 19th Ave NE in Ruskin
* Hammond Elementary School, 8008 N Mobley Road in Odessa
* Sessums Elementary School, 11525 Ramble Creek Drive in Tampa
* Bartels Middle School, 9020 Imperial Oak Blvd in Tampa (Pet-Friendly)
* Brandon High School, 1101 Victoria Street in Brandon
* Smith, Sgt. Paul Middle School, 14303 Citrus Pointe Drive in Tampa (Pet-Friendly)
* Burnett Middle School, 1010 N Kingsway Road in Seffner (Pet-Friendly)
* Valrico Elementary School, 609 South Miller Road in Valrico
* Summerfield Crossings Elementary School, 11050 Fairway Meadow Road in Valrico
* Greco Middle School, 6925 East Fowler Ave in Temple Terrace
* Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Road in Dover (Special Needs Only)
* SunDome at USF, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa (Special Needs Only)
The special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter.
Residents bringing pets to one of the four pet-friendly shelters need to bring a sturdy carrier for each pet that allows room for the pet to stand up and move around, as well as a collar with a leash and supplies for each pet to last seven days. More information on how residents can prepare their pets can be found here - www.HCFLGov.net/residents/animals-and-pets/pet-ownership/pet-disaster-planning.
Residents can confirm evacuation zones and register for HCFL Alert, Hillsborough County's official public notification system, at HCFLGov.net/StaySafe or by calling (813) 272-5900.
HART Evacuation Routes: Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) to run evacuation routes only on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit Gohart.org for additional information.