TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— With the National Weather Service reporting the possibility of tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico over the next five days, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis urges residents to prepare now as Leon County and the City of Tallahassee open sandbag locations to help protect homes and businesses in the event of heavy rains and flooding.
 
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Tallahassee area residents - the time is now to prepare for the possibility of severe weather this week in North Florida. I urge Leon County and the surrounding areas to not take this tropical threat lightly.
 
"It's important to gather insurance and financial documents and snap photos of valuables for your home to make a major difference during recovery. Keep a close watch on storm warnings from local authorities and consider protecting your home from possible rising flood waters with sandbags. Don’t wait, prepare now.”
 
Sandbags are available to the public at the following Leon County and Tallahassee locations:

• Tekesta Park, at Tekesta Drive and Deer Lake Road in Killearn Lakes
• Apalachee Regional Park (Solid Waste Management Facility), 7550 Apalachee Parkway
• Fred George Park, 3043 Capital Circle NW
• At the intersection of Oak Ridge Road at Ranchero Road
• James Messer Park South, located at 2830 Jackson Bluff Road (on the south side of Jackson Bluff Road between Appleyard Drive and Dupree Street)
• Winthrop Park, located at 1601 Mitchell Avenue (near the tennis courts)
• Lawrence-Gregory Community Center, located at 1115 Dade Street
• Jack McLean Community Center, located at 700 Paul Russell Road

For updates on City of Tallahassee operations, visit Talgov.com. Visit CFO Patronis' PrepareFL.com website for helpful resources to prepare and recover from a storm.