In preparation for the 2025 Hurricane Season, Pinellas County is rolling out a plan to help locals fortify against the threat of flooding, setting up self-serve sandbag events at two County parks, according to an announcement made on the Pinellas County's official website. On Friday and Saturday, county residents can head to John Chesnut Sr. Park and Walsingham Park to fill up to 10 sandbags per vehicle, with the county providing the necessary materials and staff assistance available for those in need.
The events are scheduled for Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until supplies run out, the sandbag stations aim to efficiently support community members in their flood prevention efforts—especially critical since the memory of Hurricane Helene's more than two feet of storm surge still lingers; Pinellas County punctuates the limited effectiveness of sandbags to flooding less than 15 inches. Residents are urged to watch for other options as a bevy of companies offer alternative flood barriers which may be explored for those residing in areas prone to surge or flooding.
For those who may miss the weekend's sandbag opportunity, the county maintains self-serve filling sites for storms on the horizon; however, the queues for these resources can stretch long, and the sites will be closed 48 hours before an anticipated landfall, as noted on Pinellas County's website.
The cities within Pinellas also present sandbag solutions; St. Petersburg offers them year-round, weekdays and once a month on Saturdays while Gulfport will run a staffed distribution on Saturday. Clearwater, Dunedin, Pinellas Park, Indian Rocks Beach, St. Pete Beach, and the Town of Belleair have also signified their intentions to provide sandbags before a storm, reflecting a countywide initiative encouraging residents to prepare early, safeguarding against the destructive might of nature.
