Sarasota, Manatee communities still recovering from flooding now prepare for new potential storm

SARASOTA, Fla. - Ahead of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and counties have begun preparing for impact. But for residents in Manatee and Sarasota counties, this storm comes as they're still recovering from Debby back in August.

Debby brought a foot and a half of water into Vicky Leach’s Sarasota home of more than 45 years.

"It’s been getting overwhelming at times," she said.

Leach, her 91-year-old father and her son have dealt with ripping up floors, walls coming down and fighting mold from spreading.

"This past week everything started coming around and working toward the good," said Leach.

After making progress with some repairs, she caught a glimpse at the weather forecast.

"Oh, my gut just went down a little bit and I said, ‘oh well, if it comes now, that’s good, because we haven’t completely put everything back in and stuff.’ We will probably just lose more from the sheds and stuff," said Leach.

READ: Your guide to hurricane season 2024

In Sarasota County, Chief of Emergency Management Sandra Tapfumaneyi met residents at the Osprey Walmart to make sure they were prepared for the storm.

"We like to tell people if you are going to get stuck in your house for a couple of days what kind of supplies would you need so you don’t have to venture out into the dangerous conditions," said Tapfumaneyi.

Jason Woodard, the store manager of the Osprey Walmart, said shelves are stocked with hurricane supplies.

"There is plenty of this in stock. That I can promise you. This came right off the shelves, there is plenty left. We will help you find it if you can’t find it," he said.

Sarasota County said staff members are checking on flood prone areas.

MORE: Sandbag sites open across Bay Area in preparation for Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine

"Our storm water team is out today, they are looking at the drainage system, they wanted to do some checks and make sure that things are flowing properly so they’re going to be out as the storm is getting closer, so we don’t have problematic areas," said Tapfumaneyi.

North, in Manatee County, officials said they are monitoring the Lake Manatee Dam. The lake elevation is around 38 feet, and workers could reduce that level depending on the amount of rain fall that area could see.

Sandbag locations, which have been opened, are being augmented with additional sites in at-risk areas. Open locations can be found at mymanatee.org/sandbags. Self-service sandbags will be offered to Sarasota County residents 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the following locations: