TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The City of Tallahassee and Leon County have announced several areas where residents can get free sandbags.
As Hurricane Irma is approaching Florida with winds of more than 175 miles per hour, Leon County Government and the City of Tallahassee are reminding citizens, agencies and organizations to be prepared and resilient.
Below are the sandbag locations, information, and tips you need to keep your family safe:
Sandbag Locations
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, beginning at 10 a.m., the County and City will make sandbags available to the public at the following locations:
- Tekesta Park, at Tekesta Drive and Deer Lake Road in Killearn Lakes
- Apalachee Regional Park (Landfill), 7550 Apalachee Parkway
- J. Lee Vause, 6024 Old Bainbridge Road
- At the intersection of Oak Ridge at Ranchero roads
- Jack McLean Community Center, 700 Paul Russell Road
- Winthrop Park, 1601 Mitchell Avenue
- James Messer Sports Complex, 2830 Jackson Bluff Road
- Lawrence-Gregory Community Center, 1115 Dade Street
Stay Informed
Hurricane Irma is a slow-moving, powerful storm. To stay up-to-date on Leon County and the City of Tallahassee’s preparedness actions, such as sand bag locations, shelter openings and preparedness tips, you have the following resources:
- Download the Leon County Citizens Connect mobile application - Completely redesigned, the Citizens Connect mobile app puts timely emergency notifications at your fingertips through push notifications on your smartphone or other device. Be the first to know about shelter locations, road closures and service changes by downloading the application on the Apple and Google Play stores.
- Visit the Leon County Emergency Information Portal - Hosting the same information as the Citizens Connect app, the Emergency Information Portal can be accessed on a desktop or a mobile browser by visiting www.LeonCountyFL.gov/EI.
- Visit Talgov.com – The City’s website is a key resource for community response information, as well as details about City services.
- Listen to 88.9 WFSU-FM - Citizens can tune in to 88.9 FM for the most up-to-date information from local public safety officials. Featuring to-the-minute reporting, WFSU, Leon County and the City of Tallahassee remain committed to getting information out on the radio as soon as possible.
- Call Big Bend 2-1-1 - If you need community information, services and support any day of the year, Big Bend 2-1-1 is reachable by dialing either 2-1-1 or (850) 617-6333.
- Call (850) 606-3700 with questions - Leon County Emergency Management staff is available to answer questions from what you should prepare, act and recover.
These locations will not be staffed, and residents will need to bring their own shovel. Sand, bags and ties will be available for public use. Residents are asked to take no more than 15 bags so as to allow others to prepare. Staff will monitor the sites to replenish as needed.
Electric Utilities
To prepare for the impending storm, City departments, including the Tallahassee Police Department, Tallahassee Fire Department and Electric Utility, are making arrangements to ensure resources are available and in place to respond to issues as they develop. City vehicles and equipment have been fueled and checked for essential supplies, and contact is being made with mutual aid partners, should their assistance be required.
Utility customers are encouraged to update their contact information, ensuring that their phone numbers and email addresses are current. Should the storm hit the Capital City, important response and recovery messages will be sent out via these avenues. Contact information can be updated online at Talgov.com/update.
Talquin Electric customers can report electric or water outages at www.talquinelectric.com or call 1-888-802-1832.
For current information about local preparedness and response, please follow Twitter.com/COTNews.
