Access to all Pinellas barrier islands will remain closed Friday morning

No one was allowed access to the Pinellas barrier Friday morning, including evacuated residents, officials said.

Clearwater city officials said in a news release early Friday morning that “access to Clearwater Beach remains closed until further notice.”

The warning, sent just after 3 a.m., said streets, businesses and homes were “inundated with several feet of water.” Even if the water level has receded, a lot of debris still remains on the roads and it is unsafe to drive in the area. The debris must be removed before the beach can be safely reopened.”

The warning also noted that “police and fire departments conducted multiple flood rescues from homes on the beach and on the mainland late Thursday and early this morning.”

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert around 6 a.m. saying, “All Pinellas County barrier islands from the Dunedin Causeway to Tierra Verde remain closed to all citizens, including local residents, until further notice.”

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