Pasco County hurricane guide¶
Pasco County Emergency Management plans for hurricanes and other disasters and runs the county Emergency Operations Center in New Port Richey. Storm surge threatens coastal areas, and the county evacuates by levels A through E based on how high the storm tide could rise. Everyone in a mobile home or RV must evacuate for any hurricane order in Pasco County.
Checked on September 30, 2026
Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Pasco County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.
What to know in Pasco County¶
- Special needs applications stop 5 days before a hurricane or tropical storm, so register early and renew every year. The county starts calling registered residents 72 hours or more before bad weather, and once bad weather arrives it will not move anyone out of their homes.
Emergency and information numbers¶
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 | Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger. |
| County information line | 727-847-2411 | Pasco County Customer Service, including trash and storm debris questions. |
| Emergency management office | 727-847-8137 | Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office non-emergency | 727-847-8102 | For police matters that are not emergencies. This is also the county's after hours non-emergency line. |
| Special needs registration | 727-847-8137 | Register before a storm if you will need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter. |
| Animal services | 813-929-1212 | Pasco County Animal Services. For after hours animal emergencies, call 727-847-8102, option 7. |
| Water and sewer emergencies | 727-847-8144 | Pasco County Utilities Maintenance, for water outages, major breaks, and broken fire hydrants. |
| Road and traffic conditions (FL511) | 511 | Evacuation routes and road closures. |
Official alerts and information¶
- Alert Pasco: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Website.
- Pasco County Emergency Management: The county's official hurricane information page. Website.
- 2026 Disaster Guide: The county's printable guide. A Spanish version is linked from the Emergency Management page. Website.
Evacuation zones¶
Pasco County uses five evacuation levels, A through E, based on how high storm tide could rise. Level A covers the red areas on the county map, and each higher level adds more areas as the expected storm tide rises. Every level includes all mobile and manufactured homes, so if you live in one, leave for any hurricane evacuation order. Your evacuation zone is not the same as your flood zone.
Evacuation centers¶
Open only when announced
Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.
Local officials announce which shelters open for each storm, and not every shelter opens every time, so the closest one may not be an option. Shelters can fill quickly, and each person gets about 20 square feet. The county's 2026 guide says all Pasco County shelters accept pets, so bring a crate, supplies, and proof of vaccinations, and care for your pet yourself. Special needs shelters give medical monitoring, not hands-on care, so bring a caregiver.
Help to evacuate¶
- Pasco County Special Needs Program: For people with disabilities or medical conditions, such as needing oxygen or electric medical equipment. Register through your home health or oxygen provider, your doctor's office, or Pasco County Emergency Management, and say what transportation you need. Renew every year. Registration does not reserve a shelter space. Phone: 727-847-8137. Website.
- Pasco County Animal Services: Pet disaster planning. Shelters and boarding facilities require proof of vaccinations within the past 12 months. Phone: 813-929-1212. Website.
Radio, TV and weather¶
Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.
Radio stations¶
| Station | Frequency | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMTX | 100.7 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| WWRM | 94.9 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
| WHPT | 102.5 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
| WUSF | 89.7 FM | English | NPR station for the Tampa Bay area. |
| WFLA | 970 AM | English | News talk station in Tampa that runs Operation Storm Watch coverage. |
Emergency Alert System roles come from the Florida state EAS plan, last revised in April 2021.
NOAA Weather Radio¶
A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.
| Station | Frequency | Transmitter |
|---|---|---|
| KEC38 | 162.450 MHz | Largo |
| KHB32 | 162.550 MHz | Tampa Bay |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| WFLA-TV (WFLA News Channel 8) | 8 | NBC | English |
| WTSP (10 Tampa Bay) | 10 | CBS | English |
| WTVT (FOX 13 Tampa Bay) | 13 | Fox | English |
| WFTS-TV (Tampa Bay 28) | 28 | ABC | English |
| WWSB (ABC7 WWSB) | 40 | ABC | English |
| WEDU (WEDU PBS) | 3 | PBS | English |
| WVEA-TV (N+ Univision Tampa Bay) | 50 | Univision | Spanish |
| WRMD-CD (Telemundo 49 Tampa) | 49 | Telemundo | Spanish |
Official forecasts¶
- National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 813-645-2323. Website.
- National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.
Power, water and debris¶
- Duke Energy Florida: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-800-228-8485. Website.
- Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 352-567-5133. Website.
- Tampa Electric (TECO): Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 1-877-588-1010. Website.
- Pasco County Utilities Maintenance: Water outages, major system breaks, broken fire hydrants, and other utility emergencies. Phone: 727-847-8144. Website.
- Pasco County Solid Waste: Trash and storm debris questions. After hurricanes Helene and Milton, the county collected storm debris across the county. Watch county alerts for debris plans after the next storm. Phone: 727-847-2411. Website.
After the storm: help for displaced residents¶
If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.
Housing and shelter¶
- FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
Food¶
- Feeding Tampa Bay: Regional food bank for the Tampa Bay area and nearby counties. Phone: 813-254-1190. Website.
- Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP): State food benefits after a declared disaster. Dates and locations are posted when it opens. Website.
Money, work and insurance¶
- DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
- Florida Insurance Consumer Helpline: Free help with insurance claims and disputes. Phone: 1-877-693-5236. Website.
- SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance: For people who lose work because of a declared disaster. Website.
Legal help¶
- Bay Area Legal Services: Free civil legal help for eligible residents of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Toll free: 800-625-2257. Phone: 813-232-1343. Website.
- Florida Disaster Relief Hotline: Free legal help for disaster survivors, switched on after a storm. Phone: 1-866-550-2929. Website.
Emotional support¶
- Central Florida Behavioral Health Network: State-contracted managing entity that funds and coordinates public mental health and substance use care in its region; it does not treat people directly. Website.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.
Relief organizations¶
- American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter (North and Central Florida Region): Local Red Cross chapter that runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Hillsborough County office. Pasco County office: 727-848-8354. Pinellas County office: 727-898-3111. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 813-348-4820. Website.
Scams, contractors and price gouging¶
- Price gouging hotline (Florida Attorney General): Report price gouging during a declared state of emergency. Phone: 1-866-966-7226. Website.
- Contractor license check (DBPR): Check any contractor's license before you pay for repairs. Phone: 850-487-1395. Website.
Cities and towns¶
Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.
Related guides¶
- Should I evacuate?
- What to expect at a hurricane shelter
- Hurricane supply list
- After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
- Insurance claims and disaster aid
Sources¶
Checked on September 30, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/emergency_management/special_needs.php
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/customer_service/index.php
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/emergency_management/about_em.php
- https://pascosheriff.com/
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/animal_services/index.php
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/utilities/about/index.php
- https://www.fl511.com/
- http://egov.pascocountyfl.net/AlertPasco/
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/emergency_management/index.php
- https://cms1files.revize.com/pasco/Documents/Services/Emergency%20Management/DG2026_Proof1.pdf
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/emergency_management/pet_preparedness.php
- https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/utilities/garbage_and_recycling/index.php
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/FLC101
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WMTX
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WWRM
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WHPT
- https://www.wusf.org/
- https://wflanews.iheart.com/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WFLA-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WTSP
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WTVT
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WFTS-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WWSB
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WEDU
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WVEA-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/WRMD-CD
- https://www.duke-energy.com/Customer-Landing-Pages/Florida-Storm-Ready
- https://wrec.net/report-outage
- https://www.tampaelectric.com/contact/
- https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
- https://ftb.org/contact-us
- https://www.myflfamilies.com/dsnap
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://myfloridacfo.com/division/ica/contactus
- https://www.sba.gov/disaster/
- https://floridajobs.org/workforce-resources/reemployment-assistance/general-information/special-programs
- https://bals.org/
- https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/hurricaneinfo/
- https://www.cfbhn.org/
- https://www.myfloridalegal.com/consumer-protection/price-gouging
- https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- https://www.redcross.org/local/florida/north-central-florida/about-us/locations/tampa-bay.html