Pinellas County opens new self-serve sandbag site at Solid Waste Complex

Pinellas County opens new self-serve sandbag site at Solid Waste Complex

Pinellas County opened its first self-service sandbag pickup site for residents of the unincorporated county today in north St. Petersburg.

The site is centrally located next door to the Pinellas County Household Hazardous Waste facility at 2855 109th Ave N., St. Petersburg, and will be open year-round Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The self-service site allows residents to pick up free, prefilled sandbags well before a storm threat and without having to wait in a long line. The County encourages residents to prepare for storms early as sandbag sites may not be available right before a storm.

In addition to the self-service site, the County and municipal partners are hosting five free emergency preparedness events leading up to Hurricane Season where residents can pick up sandbags and learn about other critical activities to focus on right before a storm. The event schedule and other information about sandbags and other flood barriers can be found at pinellas.gov/sandbags.

Pinellas County reminds residents that sandbags are only recommended for protection from up to 15 inches of flooding. Sandbags won't stop water completely, but they can reduce the amount of water entering your home. They will not protect against waves or storm surge associated with larger storms.

Residents can pick up 10 sandbags at the new self-service site and/or at any of the free sandbag events. It takes about 10 sandbags to protect one doorway.