Pasco County residents are urged to exercise extreme caution in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as the Pasco Sheriff’s Office is receiving a surge of reports concerning downed power lines across the region.

County officials asked people who live outside the boundaries of the evacuation order to also consider evacuating or moving into one of the county's six shelters.

Families used their last full day before Hurricane Helene on Wednesday to prepare their homes, as storm surge became a big concern for those in Pasco County.

In Pasco County, mandatory evacuations will go into effect Wednesday morning for anyone living in evacuation zone A and for those living in mobile homes or RVs. Voluntary evacuations will also go in effect for evacuation zones B and C.

The Pasco County Commission is holding an emergency meeting to consider a local state of emergency for Tropical Storm Helene.

Residents in Hudson Beach spent the morning preparing for impacts from Hurricane Helene. “I was checking the water and just watching the tide rise pretty much,” Jaedyn Braden said. Braden and his brother pop by Hudson Beach Park often.

Pasco County, near Tampa Bay, has deployed CentralSquare software to help public works better fix damage from natural disasters and cyber attacks. It’s the latest example of using gov tech for disaster management.

Pasco County homeowners grabbed sandbags to prepare for Hurricane Helene. Pasco County is closing sandbag sites on Thursday at 8 a.m.