Need sandbags for Dorian? Here’s where you can get them

As Hurricane Dorian looms, South Florida residents are preparing for the worst.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in Florida ahead of the now Category 3 storm. On Friday afternoon, forecasters were predicting that Dorian would make landfall Tuesday as a Category 4 storm, and advising Floridians to prepare seven days’ worth of supplies.

Among the things to stock up on is sandbags, which can prevent properties from flooding. South Florida should expect water woes as Dorian dumps rain during King Tides.

Make sure to bring a bill or other proof of residence with you — for most locations you’ll need to prove you live in the city you’re trying to get sand from.

Where to get free sand in South Florida:

• Opa-locka: Public Works Department (12950 Le Jeune Rd.), starting at 8 a.m. Friday. Up to 10 sandbags per residence.
• City of Miami: Grapeland Park (1550 NW 37th Ave.) and Legion Park (6447 NE Seventh Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Up to six bags per person.
  
  
• Miami Springs: Optimist Club parking lot (1101 Wren Ave), starting at 1 p.m. Friday. Up to 8 sandbags per residence, and you’ll need to bring your own bag.
• Miami Lakes: Royal Oaks Park (16500 NW 87th Ave.) from noon to 10 p.m. Friday. Up to 10 sandbags per residence.
• Miami Beach: Public Works Yard (451 Dade Blvd.) starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
• North Miami Beach: North Miami Beach Operations Center (2101 NE 159th St.) starting at noon Friday. Up to six sandbags per residence.
• Sunny Isles Beach: Under the William Lehman Causeway (19160 Collins Ave.) from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday. Up to four sandbags per residence.
• West Kendall: Miami Baptist Church (14955 SW 88th St.) starting at 3 p.m. Friday. Take only what you need and bring your own bags.
• Homestead: Roby George Park (211 SW 11th Ave.) and Homestead Sports Complex (1601 SE 28th Ave.) from noon to 7 p.m. Friday. Up to 10 sandbags per residence.
• Florida City: Public Works Department (428 NW Second Ave.) starting at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
• Fort Lauderdale: Mills Pond Park (2201 NW Ninth Ave.), from noon to 8 p.m. Friday. Up to five sandbags per vehicle.
• Dania Beach: The Danie Beach Casino, North East Parking Lot (301 E. Dania Beach Blvd.) starting at 6 p.m. Friday
• Hallandale Beach: The Big Easy Casino (821 N. Federal Hwy.), until 7 p.m. Up to 10 sandbags per vehicle.
• Miramar: Multi-Service Center (6700 Miramar Parkway), Adult Daycare Center (8915 Miramar Parkway) and Sunset Set Lakes Community Center (2801 SW 186th Ave.). Up to 10 sandbags per residence.
• Margate: Margate Sports Complex (1695 Banks Rd.), starting at 8 a.m. Friday. Up to 10 sandbags per residence.
• West Park: McTyre Park (3501 SW 56th Ave.) and Mary Saunders Park (SW 21st Ave.), starting at noon Friday. Up to six bags per person.
• Sweetwater: Adonel’s Concrete Sweetwater Plant (2101 NW 110th Ave.), from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Residents of any city in Florida can get sand if they bring their own bags. The plant has 1 million pounds of sand set aside.

This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 11:37 AM.