SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota County Emergency Management is encouraging the community to take steps now to prepare for the start of hurricane season on June 1. According to Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane it’s vitally important to know the risk, get prepared and stay informed. “Gather your supplies and make your plans now. Don’t wait until a storm is approaching to make these important decisions. Having set plans and being informed is the best way to prepare for a potential disaster,” McCrane added. Emergency Management officials encourage community members to assist their neighbors who may be new to the area in preparing for hurricane season. “Consider checking in on each other, helping with preparations or offering to carpool in the event of an evacuation if you’re able,” said McCrane. For information about how to prepare and available resources, visit the county’s website. Be Prepared: Create an evacuation plan, a communications plan,and a disaster kit that fits the specific needs of a household, including pets. A disaster kit should have supplies to last each person and pet up to 10 days. Include important paperwork and medications. Resources and support may not be available within the first week of a storm, depending on its severity, so it’s important to have a well-supplied disaster kit. The state’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday is May 28 through June 10. A full list of qualifying items can be found at floridarevenue.com/disasterprep. Those with qualifying medical needs should complete the Medically Dependent online application. Online applications will stop being accepted at 60 hours prior to expected impact of a storm. Those who need transportation to an evacuation center should fill out the online form. The registration process will close when a storm’s landfall is expected within 60 hours. Know Your Risk: Part of evacuation plans should include knowing when to evacuate. According to Sarasota County Emergency Management officials, there may be risk for storm surge even if water can’t be seen from home. The community is encouraged to check and memorize their hurricane evacuation level, as recent updates to storm surge maps for the area may have changed evacuation levels for some residents. Updated maps are available online at scgov.net/beprepared. Stay Informed: Sign up for Alert Sarasota County or the Sarasota County emergency newsletter to stay informed in the event of an emergency. Sign up for both on scgov.net. In addition, monitor local media and Sarasota County Facebook and Twitter accounts for important preparedness information. Follow directions of local officials and have a flashlight and battery-operated or hand-crank radio available in the event the power goes out. For more information on how you and your family can be prepared, visit scgov.net/beprepared or call 311 in Sarasota County. |
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA compliance) |
Media Availability: Media availability with Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 19, 2022, at the Emergency Operations Center, 6050 Porter Way, Sarasota. Reporters should arrive by 9:30 a.m. for check-in. Prior to the event, reporters should RSVP by sending an email to news@scgov.net. |