As what’s left of Hurricane Irene continues to batter the Northeast, Largo residents may be wondering what they can do to help out. At this point, cash donations can do the most good, said Janet McGuire, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter. “Donate to the disaster relief (fund),” she said. While residents can designate their donations for a specific event, such as Hurricane Irene, she advises against this. “People don’t understand” if they donate to a specific disaster, the money is locked in for that disaster. That means if something else happens – even in the exact same…

Hurricane Irene brought a breeze to the Tampa Bay area on Thursday, and that breeze is expected to continue with noticeable gusts today as the Category 2 hurricane chugs up the coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that tropical-storm-force winds now extend up to 290 miles from the center of the storm. The Tampa Bay area sits outside that reach, but the local seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service still calls for elevated winds through Sunday, with gusts of up to 24 mph.Irene is currently located off the east coast of Florida and is expected to move north of the …

That breeze in the air is Hurricane Irene blowing past Florida on its way up the East Coast.  The storm moved through the central Bahamas on Wednesday and is picking up speed and strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it churns toward the Carolinas. The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center in Miami projects Irene will make landfall in coastal North Carolina on Saturday afternoon, and a hurricane watch has been issued for the area. Even though Irene is bypassing Florida, tropical-storm-force winds are extending up to 205 miles from the center of the storm, according to the …

Update 08/24/11 3:00 p.m. Hurricane Irene is picking up speed and strength as it turns toward the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Irene lumbered into the Bahamas as a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday night and by this morning had ballooned into a Category 3 storm. Forecasters warn that Irene could become a Category 4 hurricane by the end of the day as it turns north. The storm's projected path has been adjusted steadily to the east throughout the past 48 hours. Forecasters no longer expect the center of the storm to make landfall in Florida. However, Irene could …

We may have just missed Hurricane Irene, but hurricane season isn't over. Our best bet is to be prepared for the worst. Here are some helpful tips that will keep you, your family and your pets safe.   There are three hurricane shelters in Pinellas County that accept pets. To be guaranteed a spot you must register with Animal Services at 727-582-2150 before a crisis to get a spot. For more information on a pet survival guide read this article: Plan for Pets Before a Hurricane Hits When a diaster strikes Pinellas County Emergency Management has a plan in place to help get aid and services to …

Hurricane Irene is expected to skirt Florida on Thursday and Friday as it heads up the East Coast, according to the latest forecast model from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.  The Tampa Bay area was placed in the five-day forecast cone on Monday morning. Newer forecasts from the National Weather Service have moved Irene's track farther east. Still, the Bay area could receive heavy rain and wind from the storm at the end of the week, with local seven-day forecasts currently calling for scattered thunderstorms and gusting wind on Thursday and Friday.  Irene, a Category 2 hurricane, is …

There's a reason the corridor between Tampa Bay and Titusville is known as Lightning Alley. It experiences the most lightning in the United States annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 90 percent of those strikes occur between May and October, generally between noon and midnight.  According to NOAA, “on average, lightning is responsible for more weather-related deaths in Florida than all other weather hazards combined, and Florida has the highest number of lightning casualties of all 50 states.” Lightning is the result of a complex process related to …

For the first time this season a tropical storm has Florida in its possible path, though forecasters say it’s far too early to tell if the state will stay in the storm’s sights. Tropical Storm Emily, the season’s fifth named storm, formed Monday near the island of Dominica and is expected to move to the west northwest at about 12 mph the next few days. National Hurricane Center forecasters expect the storm to make a more northerly swing later in the week and head up the United States coast by the weekend. Though forecasts don’t call for Emily to become the year’s first hurricane, the storm …

The first signs of hurricane season are here. We had torrential rains this past weekend and that's just the beginning. Are you prepared for a Hurricane? 

Inside the Osceola High School gym on Wednesday morning, a woman passed out on the floor and needed medical assistance. Minutes later a fight nearly broke out between two women who were having a heated verbal dispute. Outside the gym a group of angry citizens stormed the doors and demanded to be let in immediately. A sheriff’s deputy had to intervene to calm the disturbance. Was this some kind of parent revolt over their student’s final report card, a tense meeting involving the school board, or a Justin Bieber concert ticket drop? Turns out the pandemonium was part of Operation MedStock, a …

Largo resident Kandi Schell recently moved into a mobile home and is acutely aware of the danger hurricanes pose to her home and two dogs, Bella and Oreo. She filled a hurricane to-go bag with food, water and the dogs’ medical records. In a pinch Schell said she would head to Petsmart with her dogs if they had to evacuate during the day because she doesn’t know where the pet friendly shelters are. If disaster struck in Pinellas County, it would be too late for Schell to get into a pet-friendly shelter. That's because the county's pet friendly shelters require pre-registration.  “The time to …

With hurricane season underway here in Florida and communities in Alabama and Missouri still recovering from a series of deadly tornadoes, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) gathered leaders from around the country in Clearwater to address the issue of emergency preparedness. [Keep this list handy in the event of a major storm: Five Hurricane Resources You Need To Know] Bilirakis represents Florida's 9th Congressional District which includes Clearwater and other parts of the Tampa Bay area. The Congressman is also Chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and …

Hurricane season has officially started. According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this will be a more active season than in the past few years. For the six-month season, NOAA predicts 12 to 18 named storms, with three to six of those expected to be major storms. With this possibility, what should you do? The best way to stay safe is to be prepared. Largo Patch is covering resources, including your hurricane supply checklist and ten tips for hurricane preparedness. Make sure you have at least one way to stay connected to breaking news. Many emergency management …

The Great Tampa Bay Hurricane crashed into St. Pete Beach and changed Pinellas County geography 90 years ago. The storm brought with it a 12 foot storm surge and actually separated St. Pete Beach from Treasure Island, creating the Blind Pass channel in October 1921. Officials from the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center aren’t going as far as predicting another major storm like that will hit this county this year, but they do want residents to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. “People think we’re never going to get hit by another hurricane again. So the concern we’…

Hurricane season is in full swing between now and November 30th. Metrologist predict six to eight hurricanes this season, so it's best to be prepared.  In the event of a hurricane or major storm these are the supplies you'll need to make it through with no electricity, water or gas. Adjust the list accordingly for your family size. Certain items like clothing should be prepped per person. Also the recommended amount of water is one gallon of water per person per day. The following list is based on the recommendations of the Pinellas County Emergency Management Office.  Stay At Home Kit One-…

Every year when June 1st, the first day of hurricane season, approaches we’re told we have to prepare for the worst. And although we’ve been fortunate to not have a major storm since 2005, if experts are right this year there will be three to six major hurricanes (category 3-5) with winds of 111 miles per hour of higher. Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's say that there will be two to 18 named storms with winds of 39 miles per hour or higher of which six to 10 of those storms will be of 74 miles per hour or higher.  “However we can’t count on luck to get…

It’s almost June, which in Florida means one thing: the start of hurricane season. Wednesday night at Pinellas Park High School, 107 members of the school's First Responders and National Guard Center for Emergency Management magnet program got a head start on the season by hosting their 2nd annual Hurricane Preparedness Showcase. The class, which focuses on skills and elements of a first responder career, decided to tackle the hurricane preparedness angle “since it is so important to the residents of our state,” according to program coordinator Jill Dileanis. Here are 10 tips to prepare for a…