Sarasota County Florida
The City of Venice Utilities Department is expected to shut off water to the island of Venice in the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 8, in advance of Hurricane Milton’s expected impact to the area. Water service, including water for fire protection, will remain off for the duration of the storm and until any repairs are completed. Wastewater service and power are also expected to be unavailable during this time.
Please heed evacuation orders for Levels A & B, which have been called today. Anyone choosing to shelter in place should prepare accordingly and collect and store as much water as possible, including bottled water, plastic holding jugs, filling your bathtub, etc.
Another advisory will be distributed once water service has been restored. This may take several days. Once service is restored, you will be under a boil water advisory until you receive a notification stating the water is safe for consumption. When you boil water for eating and drinking, bring it to a rolling boil for 3 full minutes and then let it cool.
These procedures are standard during a storm of this magnitude to protect the potable water system and restore services faster after the event.
We appreciate your understanding and know that we are doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of our customers. Stay safe. Should you have any urgent questions that cannot wait until after the storm has passed, contact Venice Utilities at 941-486-2444.
Sarasota County Hurricane Milton Updates, Oct. 6, 2:30 p.m.
UPDATED Sandbag Operations:
Self-service sandbags will be offered to Sarasota County residents Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., at the following locations:
- Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St., Sarasota.
- Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota.
- South County Fleet Services, 4571 SR 776/Englewood Road, Venice.
Charlotte County
Charlotte County is currently under a storm surge warning ‼ We have ordered evacuations for the Red & Orange Zones, also know as Zones A and B. The storm surge is forecasted to be worse than what we experienced in Hurricane Helene. You need to evacuate now. Delaying evacuation plans may cause you to be stuck in traffic jams.
This evacuation also includes residents in any zone living in mobile and manufactured homes. Remember, you only need to evacuate tens of miles, not hundreds, to get away from dangerous storm surge. To find your zone, visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/knowyourzone.
Charlotte County’s pet friendly storm shelters will open on Tuesday. An announcement will be made with the opening times. Please do not go to shelters before the openings are announced.
If going to a shelter is your plan, take this time to prepare your home and what you are bringing to the shelter. You can find a list of those supplies and disaster preparedness tips at www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/disasterguide.