While a mandatory evacuation order is in effect for residents in Zone A ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival Thursday, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office does not plan to move inmates from the overcrowded jail that sits within a flood-prone area.

Pinellas County officials are urging residents in Evacuation Zone A and mobile homes to evacuate immediately. The deadline for safe evacuation is noon today, after which rising floodwaters will make roads impassable,

Officials in Pinellas County say residents in Zone A or in a mobile home anywhere in the county should be evacuated before Thursday morning. They’re in mandatory evacuation zones.