The City of Tarpon Springs and Pinellas County joined forces Saturday to host a Storm Mitigation Expo aimed at helping residents gear up for hurricane season.

Experts were on hand to share practical advice for storm prep, from sandbag placement to post-storm cleanup.

“Don’t tie the sandbags too tightly—leave a little space between the sand and the knot,” advised Nick Czaja with Pinellas County Public Works. Without that space, he said, the bags won’t stack properly and could leave gaps that allow water through.

Czaja explained that while sandbags can help with minor flooding, they’re not effective against storm surge. To boost their usefulness, he recommends pairing them with other tools, like tarps and sealants.

“Lay a tarp behind your sandbags, apply a sealant like Flex Seal, and then stack the sandbags in a staggered pattern on top,” he said.

Czaja also shared tips for debris removal after a storm. For curbside pickup, he emphasized that storm debris must be properly sorted and placed in the right location.

“Branches should go in one pile, appliances in another, followed by things like fence parts or roofing materials,” he said. “Only regular trash goes in bins—everything else has to be out in the open or it won’t be collected.”

Pat Zidda, a local resident, said this year’s expo offered more valuable information than ever.

“I found better info this year, especially about flood and home insurance,” Zidda said. “They’ve got folks here who can walk you through what’s covered—and it’s all free.”

Zidda also learned that her current hurricane prep efforts are on the right track. Not only is she using sandbags correctly, but she’s also set up added protection.

“I’ve already got hooks in place for tarps so I can put them up quickly,” she said.

Asked if she felt ready for hurricane season, Zidda didn’t hesitate: “I do.”

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(Image credit: Pinellas County)

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