Downtown churches prepare for Hurricane Irma

Pastor Richard Marsden has had a hurricane plan filed away somewhere in the Church of the Redeemer office for years. But now that plan is out of a file drawer and being followed.

And the rest of those files? Covered in plastic, according to the plan.

Marsden said the church started putting its storm preparations in action on Tuesday.

“It’s been gaining momentum as we go on,” Marsden said. “We were hoping the thing would turn, but it hasn’t.”

Parishioners spent the morning filling sandbags and covering artwork and instruments with plastic. Marsden said most of the preparations are to account for power outages and high winds, but with forecasts still fluctuating, it’s hard to know for what kind of storm he's getting ready.

“We really hope this is an exercise of futility,” Marsden said. “You kind of wonder what to prepare for. If we get flooding there is not a whole lot we are able to do.”

Although Hurricane Irma is not likely to make landfall in Florida until the weekend, staff and parishioners said the sooner they could prepare the church, the better. 

"It takes so long to prepare that we have to prepare far enough in advance so that everyone can go home and take care of our own stuff," Redeemer member Ernie Cave said. "Sunday could be bright and sunny, but we have to prepare now."

As of Thursday, the church was closed until further notice. FirstSarasota The Downtown Baptist Church also announced that it would not be hold services this Sunday. In case of storm conditions, Marsden said the Redeemer it will not be open as a shelter.

“We are in a flood plain, so this is the last place anybody is going to want to be,” he said.

Sarasota County has yet to decide on shelter openings, but will likely announce a decision Friday.

Pastor Sam Wright of First United Methodist Church said he has been asked about the church’s ability to stay open during the storm, but, as of now, it’s too soon to say.

“That’s a good question,” Wright said. “I would be willing to do that, and I told a few members, if I can get to the church from my house.”

However, for now, it’s a matter of wait and see. The church has already closed its offices Friday and is waiting to make a final decision about Sunday services until the weekend. It’s unlikely that Sarasota will get the worst of the storm, but Wright said he is uncertain that the church is equipped with the facilities to safely shelter people during the storm.

“We’re willing to help and do whatever we can for the community before and after, but because our facility is not a really a safe place,” Wright said.

 Wright said one thing is certain. He is ready and willing to help whatever the weather brings.

“We want to be good neighbors, so whatever we can do to help we will,” he said.

For up-to-date information on evacuation notices and shelter openings, follow yourobserver.com. For information on how general storm preparations, click here.