Pinellas County Finalizes Evacuation Shelter Training for Hurricane Season

Shelter Operations Training

• 🎯 Pinellas County workers are undergoing final training to ensure the smooth operation of evacuation shelters.
• 🔑 This training covers everything from administrative paperwork to setting up shelters and registering individuals.

Past Hurricane Experiences

• 📈 The county has experienced significant shelter usage, with around 1,700 people for Hurricane Helen and close to 14,000 for Hurricane Milton.
• 🗓️ Staff have been activated four times in the last three years for storms like Ian, Adalia, Helen, and Milton.

Staff Support and Mental Health

• 🧠 Training includes a mental health component to help staff deescalate stressful situations with residents.
• 🤝 Approximately 100 county staff collaborate with school staff, police, fire, and cafeteria workers to manage shelters.

Post-Storm Shelter Needs

• 🏠 Even after initial evacuations end, damaged homes may require continued sheltering, potentially at rec centers or churches in collaboration with partners.

Hurricane Preparedness

• ⚠️ While hopefully not needed, county workers are prepared to open shelters if evacuations are issued.
• 💡 The county advises residents to have a personal storm plan and know their evacuation destination, even if not under an official order.
• 📅 Hurricane season officially begins Sunday, June 1st, and runs through November 30th.