By the time Nancy Parker realized she wanted to get out of her home and find safety, it was too late. Hurricane Helene’s storm surge was rushing into her Bay Pines neighborhood, making the streets impassable.

In preparation for Hurricane Milton, Pinellas County has opened six emergency shelters as of noon today, Oct. 7. The county has also issued mandatory evacuation orders for special needs residents in evacuation zones A,

In advance of Milton, there's a mandatory evacuation in Pinellas for zones A, B, and C. It's effective immediately.