Pinellas County residents are urged to begin sheltering in place immediately as Hurricane Helene approaches. The Category 4 storm is expected to bring significant storm surge flooding, tropical storm force winds,

Pinellas County in Florida enacts mandatory evacuations for Zone A and mobile home residents due to Hurricane Helene's approach.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is set to shut down access to the Barrier Islands at 6 p.m. Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Helene, the agency said in a news release. The following islands will be closed to residents and visitors until further notice, according to deputies:

They waited in a long line spilling out of the tent city, snaking down the sidewalk, shouldering everything they owned. Backpacks and grocery sacks, garbage bags bulging with T-shirts, sweatpants, family photos,

The National Hurricane Center projects that the storm will make landfall as a major hurricane along the Florida's Gulf Coast on Thursday. Things are heating up in Middle-earth — and within the fandom.

After consulting with the county emergency management department, the Pinellas County school district announced it will close all schools and offices Wednesday and Thursday. All sports and school activities for those two days also are canceled. Tuesday’s sports and activities are set to take place as scheduled.