Because of Hurricane Eta—which has the Bay area under a tornado watch until 5 p.m.—Tampa’s public parks facilities, and restrooms will be closing at 1 p.m.
That certainly sucks for anyone who loves taking their kids and dogs to our public greenspaces, but it’s really bad for that midday jogger who counts on public lavatories for… relief. Squeeze your butt cheeks a little tighter, Tampeños.
In all seriousness, storms—especially Eta, which is expected to bring heavy rains and gusty winds from about 40 mph-50 mph, possible tornadoes, and power outages later today and this evening—can be scary. Hillsborough County has opened five shelters, including three that are pet-friendly, for anyone who needs them.
After a Wednesday morning Pinellas County’s Board of Commissioners emergency meeting, Pinellas County parks will be closed from noon today to noon Thursday. A media alert from the county says "Pinellas County buildings and offices will remain closed to the general public tomorrow, Thursday, to allow for the necessary post-storm operations and damage assessments." So, yeah, no pooping there either.
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This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2020.