State of Emergency declared for several Bay Area counties
Hurricane and storm surge watches for parts of Bay Area
FOX 13 meteorologist Dave Osterberg has the latest on Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, which is expected to become Helene on Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane and storm surge watches for portions of the Tampa Bay area, with the strongest impacts expected to be felt Thursday.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Hernando County is under a state of emergency ahead of possible impacts from Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.
County commissioners decided to declare a state of emergency because it gives Hernando County government the authority to "take action as needed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our community."
This includes making emergency purchases, obtaining additional resources, renting equipment, hiring workers, utilizing volunteers, etc.
The local state of emergency will be in effect for seven days, or until rescinded.
Earlier in the day on Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSasntis declared a state of emergency for 41 counties, including Hernando County.
Manatee County State of Emergency
Manatee County has declared a Local State of Emergency.
The declaration of this allows County staff to perform any emergency actions required during the storm. It also allows the county the ability to get resources from the state as needed. This declaration is in addition to the still-in-effect LSE from Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby.
"Currently we have 11 sandbag stations that are open and operational," said Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske.
Residents are encouraged to take any necessary precautions to protect their property against possible flooding. Sandbag locations, which have remained open, are being augmented with additional sites in at-risk areas. Open locations can be found at mymanatee.org/sandbags.
Pinellas County State of Emergency
Commissioners declared a local state of emergency during a meeting Tuesday morning.
Sarasota County State of Emergency
Sarasota County is currently under a Hurricane Watch and because of the expected intensification of Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, Sarasota County has declared a local state of emergency and will send out an evacuation alert for Level A and manufactured home communities starting Wednesday at 7 a.m.
Evacuation centers in Sarasota County will open at noon Wednesday.
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.
"We are ready to serve our community. We are coordinating with Sarasota County to provide shelter to our schools and personnel. We will continue to share updates with employees and families as more information about the storm and its potential impacts becomes available. Visit our website at sarasotacountyschools.net, and follow social media channels to stay updated," said Terry Connor, Superintendent of Schools.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter