Pinellas County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order Tuesday for residents in evacuation Zone A who live in health care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living centers.

On Wednesday, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for people in Zone A. To find your evacuation zone, in Pinellas, go to: https://kyz.pinellas.gov/ These are the shelters open to Pinellas County according to a press release from Pinellas County:

While a mandatory evacuation order is in effect for residents in Zone A ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival Thursday, the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office does plan to move inmates from the overcrowded jail that sits within a flood prone area.

Officials in Pinellas County say residents in Zone A or in a mobile home anywhere in the county should be evacuated before Thursday morning. They’re in mandatory evacuation zones.

Evacuees from Pinellas County are heeding the storm surge warnings caused by Hurricane Helene and are seeking refuge in Polk County.