State Of Emergency: County, City Officials Eying Eta’s Approach

Tiffany Razzano
·3 min read

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL – Both Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota declared a local state of emergency Wednesday as Tropical Storm Eta approached the west coast of Florida.

As of Wednesday afternoon, neither the city nor the county had ordered any evacuations or opened emergency shelters. The county said this could change if the need arises.

“This storm has been very tricky with us all the way from when we first started watching it Halloween night,” said Ed McCrane, the county’s emergency management chief, at a news conference Wednesday. “It’s gone to the Caribbean. It’s come up the coast.”

Tuesday night’s track initially indicated that Eta would be more of a concern for the Florida Panhandle or Louisiana by Wednesday and Thursday, he said. “We thought it wasn’t going to be a factor for us. That changed quickly overnight.”

McCrane said the area should expect heavy bands of rain, storm surge and winds.

In a news release, the city said it was concerned about “storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico breaching portions of Ben Franklin Drive, additional localized street flooding, and the potential for wind damage caused by strong wind gusts and tornadoes.”

For the latest updates on Tropical Storm Eta, subscribe to free News Alerts.

Storm Closures

The following schedules have been affected by Tropical Storm Eta:

Sarasota County Area Transit: All SCAT services, including SCAT Plus, the Siesta Key Breeze Trolley and On Demand Service, shut down at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Service should resume Thursday morning.

Sarasota International Airport: The airport closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Flights will resume Thursday at 6 a.m. The terminal will open at 4 a.m.

Park and Recreation events: All Wednesday and Thursday events have been canceled.

Trash and Recycling: The county will follow its normal collection schedule.

Sarasota County Schools: Two-hour early dismissal on Wednesday.

County public beaches: No lifeguard on duty

COVID-19 testing sites: All testing sites are closed Wednesday.

Manasota Key road closure: The road on Manasota Key at Blind Pass Beach is currently underwater. The roadway has been closed to vehicular traffic at the Charlotte County line and Manasota Beach bridge

Sandbags

There are no sandbags available through Sarasota County or the city of Sarasota.

The Town of Long Boat Key offers sandbags to its residents starting Wednesday afternoon. A maximum of 10 sandbags per household can be picked up at Broadway Beach Access, 100 Broadway Street. This is a self-service site.

Preparing for a Storm

Here are some tips to keep in mind when preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm:

  • Have a disaster kit and plan in place.

  • Pick up loose items that could blow around from lawns, patios and lanais.

  • Fill up gas their gas tanks.

  • Learn their evacuation zone by contacting their local government/emergency management office or by checking this evacuation site website.

  • Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.

  • Review insurance policies to ensure that they have adequate coverage for your home and personal property.

  • Charge cell phones, laptops and other devices.

Stay Up to Date On the Latest Information

For continued updates monitor the Sarasota County Government and Emergency Services Facebook pages, and the Hurricane Preparedness page on the county website.

The city of Sarasota can be followed on Facebook and Twitter @cityofsarasota.

This article originally appeared on the Sarasota Patch