City of Sarasota and county issue emergency declarations after flooding, seek aid

Christian Casale, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
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Both the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County declared states of emergency Thursday afternoon after a storm system caused historic flooding in the region this week.

Sarasota city spokesperson Jan Thornburg and Sarasota County spokesperson Genevieve Judge said in separate statements that the declarations allow for more flexibility to authorize public funds for the storm damage and receive state and federal assistance for their respective local governments.

Thornburg also said the city's declaration is to prepare for any additional rain.

The county declaration, written by Deputy County Administrator Steve Botelho, said the heavy rainfall Tuesday "threatens and would constitute a natural disaster for Sarasota County."

What does Sarasota County's emergency declaration say?

"The severe rainfall event has impacted and caused damage to roads, bridges, businesses, and homes in areas of Sarasota County. The ongoing threat brings the potential for further damage to and destruction of roads, homes, bridges, public facilities and businesses creates the threat of significant public and private financial loss and poses an immediate and present danger to the health and safety of the citizens of Sarasota County, necessitating the exercise of all reasonable preparatory, precautionary, and recovery measures," Botelho wrote.

The city and county directed business owners affected by the storm to a survey by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida Commerce to report damage. The information will be organized by the Small Business Administration to allocate possible assistance.

Because of the lightning storm the pool was shut Tuesday afternoon, June 11, 2024. They had flash flooding in the parking lot of Sarasota's YMCA Branch located at 1075 S Euclid Ave.
Because of the lightning storm the pool was shut Tuesday afternoon, June 11, 2024. They had flash flooding in the parking lot of Sarasota's YMCA Branch located at 1075 S Euclid Ave.

The city also encouraged people to document any flooding to their property to floodinfo@sarasotafl.gov for a report to the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

The National Weather Service said between 5 and 10 inches of rain soaked Sarasota Tuesday evening. Many restaurants and businesses at St. Armands Circle and Siesta Key took the brunt of the storm and flooding.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office received at least 18 service calls for cars stuck in water and four calls for abandoned cars; while the Sarasota County Fire Department received at least 43 service calls for cars stuck in floodwater and 15 calls for downed wires.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota city and county declare emergencies, seek state, federal aid