Find the latest storm info here.
Here’s where you can get sandbags in the Tampa Bay area for Tropical Storm Laura; we’ll update this as we get more info:
Polk County:
Sandbags will be provided to Polk County residents at all Roads and Drainage maintenance units and another site in Poinciana from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Aug. 22 and 23.
A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each vehicle to help prevent water intrusion into the home. Beginning Aug. 22, the following locations will provide sand and sandbags, so bring your shovel and get prepared.
Sandbag fill site locations are:
- Mulberry – 900 NE 5th St., Mulberry (863) 519-4734
- Lakeland – 8970 N. Campbell Road, Lakeland (863) 815-6701
- Ft. Meade – 1061 NE 9th St., Fort Meade (863) 285-6588
- Frostproof – 350 County Road 630A, Frostproof (863) 635-7879
- Auburndale – 1701 Holt Road, Auburndale (863) 965-5524
- Dundee – 805 Dr. Martin Luther King St. SW, Dundee (863) 421-3367
- Poinciana – Association of Poinciana Villages (APV) Public Works facility, 2012 Hemlock Ave., Poinciana
Residents living in flood prone areas are encouraged to sandbag their homes. To protect against water damage, follow these simple sandbagging techniques.
At the area where water can enter a structure:
- If not working on concrete, a small ditch should be dug just deep enough to go below ground level. The ditch should be back far enough from the entrance to allow room to place optional submersible (sump) pumps into the protected area. The edge of the visqueen should be placed in the ditch as a bottom layer.
- Place the first row of sandbags in ditch, fold visqueen over the top of first row, place a second row of bags on top, fold visqueen back over, place a third row of bags on top, and so on. This creates an “S” pattern with the visqueen.
- Depending on the size of the barrier, one or more submersible (sump) pumps should be utilized. The barrier will not completely stop water from entering the protected area. However, with the proper placement of bags, visqueen and sump pumps, water, in most cases, can be removed quickly.
Pasco County:
*Pasco County Opens Additional Sandbag Sites *Self-serve sandbag sites open 24 hours
With Tropical Storm Laura expected to bring heavy rainfall to Florida’s west coast early next week, Pasco County is opening additional sandbag stations to help protect your property from potential flooding.
Sand and sandbags are available at the following locations:
– Pasco County Public Works (C-Barn): 30908 Warder Road, San Antonio
– Magnolia Valley Golf Course: 7223 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey
– Pasco Fire Rescue Station 17: 2951 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey
– Veterans Memorial Park: 14333 Hicks Road, Hudson
– Moon Lake Park: 8985 Lake Dr., New Port Richey
*Note: Sandbag locations are self-serve and are open 24 hours to Pasco County residents; however, sand will only be restocked between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You should bring a shovel and be prepared to fill your own sandbags.
The most effective placement for sandbags includes entry and exit points of your home. To watch a Pasco video explaining how to properly fill and place sandbags, please visit: bit.ly/PascoSandbags.
Hernando County:
Sandbags:
Self-serve sandbag site openings
(Brooksville, FL) In preparation for Tropical Storm Laura, a limited supply of sand and sandbags will be available starting today, Friday, August 21 from noon to 5 p.m. as well as Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2020 from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Linda Pedersen Park, located at 6300 Shoal Line Boulevard near Hernando Beach. Sandbag sites are self-serve only, please bring your own shovel. Limit 15 sandbags per vehicle.
Tips on how to properly fill and stack your sandbags
Fill bags one-half to two-thirds of the way full
Over-filled bags will result in a leaky sandbag wall
Stack sandbags so that the seams between the bags are staggered
Tuck the top of each bag under to ensure that that bag is sealed by its own weight
Hernando County Government’s Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor and inform our community about storm impacts. Visit the following web and social media sites or call the Public Information Center for more information.
For the latest local conditions and a complete list of news alerts go to
Sign up to receive weather alerts at https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alerthernando.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7CSean%40wmnf.org%7Cea8a431697de4140113708d845e31b35%7Ceff8000820724c42b3fe736c3260d23f%7C0%7C0%7C637336189033707379&sdata=awb4sQ5SHzr8hDJrTDE0gVQu7BVvbRNjTSSc73PDFtI%3D&reserved=0
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Hernando BOCC Special Meeting scheduled for August 21, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.
(Brooksville, FL) A special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners has been scheduled for Friday, August 21, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. at the Hernando County Emergency Operations Center, located at 18900 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville.
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Laura and consider the need to declare a Local State of Emergency and will include representatives from the School District, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Health and City of Brooksville.
This joint special meeting will be open to the public. Residents may watch the meeting live on the Hernando County Government Facebook page at https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHernandoCoGov&data=02%7C01%7CSean%40wmnf.org%7C75b493ed2d3a455d7ffe08d845e4f7dc%7Ceff8000820724c42b3fe736c3260d23f%7C0%7C0%7C637336197004508095&sdata=jjqUxosCsvmO%2BRzUoXE7NNdYnJMPqvimCQED7N%2B5dP0%3D&reserved=0. Citizens are encouraged to submit comments via email to BOCCCitizensComments@HernandoCounty.us. The meeting agenda may be viewed online at https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hernandocounty.us%2F&data=02%7C01%7CSean%40wmnf.org%7C75b493ed2d3a455d7ffe08d845e4f7dc%7Ceff8000820724c42b3fe736c3260d23f%7C0%7C0%7C637336197004518084&sdata=XC5zXlB5tUXDop5SFaY5NfSrGUnk1YYwvsLyvsApzpo%3D&reserved=0.
Contact the County Administrator’s Office at (352) 754-4002 for questions regarding this meeting.
Hernando EOC ALERT 3 – Tropical Storm Laura, 11:35 a.m. Friday
CURRENT SITUATION
The National Hurricane Center has recently upgraded Tropical Depression Thirteen to Tropical Storm Laura.
Tropical Storm Laura, located about 210 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, is moving toward the west at 18 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next few days. Maximum sustained winds are 45 mph with higher gusts. This system is forecast to gradually strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Florida. Possible impacts are forecasted for our area between Sunday night and Tuesday. Additional fluctuations in the forecast track and intensity are very likely.
Tropical Depression Fourteen continues to move northwest toward the Yucatan Peninsula. The system is expected to move into the south-central Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm on Sunday. It is too soon to know exactly how strong it will get or the location and magnitude of impacts it may produce along the central or northwestern Gulf Coast.
POSSIBLE IMPACTS – TROPICAL STORM LAURA
Wind: Tropical Storm force winds (39 mph or greater) are possible in our area on Monday and Tuesday. Expect to see increased wind speed probabilities in future forecasts.
Surge: If a Category 1 hurricane moves offshore or near the western Florida coast, the Nature Coast may see 4 to 7 feet of surge above ground level. The highest values will be at high tide.
Rain: 3 to 5 inches of rain are possible along the coast, and 2 to 3 inches of rain for inland areas. Rainfall totals can change greatly based on the forecast track. Be mindful of future forecasts.
POSSIBLE IMPACTS – TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOURTEEN This system bears monitoring over the next few days for possible fluctuations in track and intensity, but significant impacts to our area are not expected at this time.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Know your zone, Know your home. Have a plan to shelter in place if appropriate.
Register for automated severe weather notifications at
Take this opportunity to refresh your emergency supply kit. For more information, visit https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hernandocounty.us%2FEM&data=02%7C01%7CSean%40wmnf.org%7C172def769f5a4f2205ef08d845e7be89%7Ceff8000820724c42b3fe736c3260d23f%7C0%7C0%7C637336208930111667&sdata=blc9kCe8TuuatY8KRxVwgUBWBFCHUnFiPWirae6mxo8%3D&reserved=0
Residents are encouraged to monitor local media outlets or the National Weather Service at https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weather.gov%2Ftbw%2F&data=02%7C01%7CSean%40wmnf.org%7C172def769f5a4f2205ef08d845e7be89%7Ceff8000820724c42b3fe736c3260d23f%7C0%7C0%7C637336208930111667&sdata=IGvIAdzaeTus%2FD3QQW8Mn8Ai1F8sTSKbh60KscH8QZw%3D&reserved=0 for current weather information.
Test your weather radio today and change the battery if needed.
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