- September 24, 2024
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Updated at 11:15 a.m.
Sarasota and Manatee counties have each declared a state of emergency as officials anticipate the arrival of what will become Hurricane Helene later in the week.
The disturbance moving north from the Caribbean Sea officially became Tropical Storm Helene, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. update.
Sarasota County is preparing evacuation orders and closing schools Wednesday to prepare buildings for use as evacuation centers.
In an announcement this morning, the county said it will send out an evacuation alert for Level A and manufactured home communities starting Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 a.m.
Level A covers all coastal areas, including all of Longboat Key and Siesta Key, as well as areas along many rivers and creeks.
Sarasota County schools will close at the end of today, Sept. 24, to allow for time to prepare schools that serve as emergency evacuation centers.
Evacuation centers in Sarasota County will open at noon Wednesday.
Community members can identify their evacuation level and the nearest evacuation center on the county's website:
“Sarasota County is taking action to prepare for impacts from the storm. Residents are encouraged to act now and make their needed preparations today,” Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis said in the announcement.
All Disaster Recovery Centers in Florida will cease operations temporarily at close of business Tuesday, Sept. 24, in preparation for severe weather.
The centers will reopen when weather conditions permit.
Manatee County also issued its own local state of emergency Wednesday morning.
The county's Emergency Operations Center will continue to add staff and resources as needed as the storm progresses through the Gulf of Mexico, and provide recourses for citizens to protect their property, an announcement said.
"Currently we have 11 sandbag stations that are open and operational,” said Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske. Existing sandbag locations are being augmented with additional sites in at-risk areas. Open locations can be found at mymanatee.org/sandbags.
The Manatee County School District is planning an annoucement later today about school closings, a spokesman said.
Staff have completed maintenance work on the Lake Manatee Dam. "All three mechanical gates are operational, and the earthen gates have been restored to normal levels," a news releasee said. Crews have also lowered the lake level in advance of the potential rainfall. "The level was at 36.9 feet at 8 a.m. this morning. This will allow for more capacity as needed," the release said.
Manatee County Animal Welfare is seeking fosters who may be able to care for pets during this severe weather event at their home. Those interested can send an email or stop by the Palmetto shelter, which is open from noon to 6 p.m..
Manatee County Parks and Preserves will be closed, beginning Wednesday evening. Beaches and pools will be closing tonight and remain closed until further notice. G.T. Bray Park will be closing at noon Wednesday to allow for staging of emergency responders.
There will be no Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) fixed-route service on Thursday. Trolley and Transit service will end at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The Gulf Island Ferry Service is suspended through the weekend.
Manatee County’s contracted waste haulers are actively working Tuesday and Wednesday to complete their regular collection routes while also addressing debris cleanup. Trash pickups for Thursday are canceled, with Thursday pickups shifting to Friday and Friday pickups moving to Saturday. The Lena Road Landfill will be closed Thursday.
9 a.m. Update:
Hurricane and storm surge watches are in effect for the entire west coast of Florida, from the Big Bend to south of Naples as a disturbance expected to become Hurricane Helene churns northward.
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
All Sarasota County offices are closed Tuesday, Sept. 24, for staff "to focus on storm preparations for Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine," the county announced Monday night.
Solid Waste will be operating normally for Tuesday, including curbside collection services. The landfill will also be open during normal hours.
All Breeze services (Breeze bus and trolley routes, Breeze OnDemand, and non-medical Breeze Plus trips) will operate on a normal schedule Tuesday. Visit scgov.net/breeze for service updates.
Sandbag stations are open for residents Tuesday and Wednesday at several areas of the county, including Twin Lakes Park and Ed Smith Stadium.
Sand and bags will be provided. Residents must bring their own shovels. There is a limit of 10 bags per vehicle.
There is a manned sandbag operation at the Broadway Beach Access on Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to noon. After that, sandbags can be picked up at the Town of Longboat Key Public Works Office, 600 General Harris Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with sand available at the Broadway Beach Access.
The town’s sandbag station is to serve Longboat Key residents, property owners and commercial interests only to help address potential flooding issues.
Please bring proof of residency such as a driver’s license or utility bill to obtain bags at Public Works.
There is a limit of 10 bags per household. Residents may bring their own bags if more are needed.
For more information, visit SCGov.net/helene.
Other county departments, such as Public Works and Public Utilities, are conducting their pre-storm operations, the county said.
Forecasts say the Manatee-Sarasota area could experience up to a 9-foot storm surge from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 48 hours.
A hurricane watch has also been issued, meaning that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the disturbance was moving toward the northwest near 9 mph. This general motion is expected later Tuesday and Tuesday night, followed by a faster northward to north-northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of the system is forecast to move across the Caribbean Sea tonight, then over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday.
