Charlotte County declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon. County commissioners made the move expecting severe effects from Hurricane Irma. Jerry Mallet, the Charlotte County Emergency Management Director told NBC-2 at this point, it’s unknown exactly what impact Irma will have on the county. He called the declaration of a local state of emergency “the safest thing to do at this point.” Utility crews say for those who stick around and try and ride out the storm, power could be out for as many as 10 days depending on the damage. The Charlotte County Board of Education said yesterday they will make a decision on school closings at some point today.
As for Sarasota County, the school district has canceled all after-school activities on Friday, Sept. 5 for ALL Sarasota County Schools. After-school care will be the only thing that continues, and sports games will be rescheduled. As of now, the plan is for schools to remain open through the end of the week. Like Charlotte County, the district is expected to make a decision about school closures today. One of the possible worries is that schools a bit further inland may turn into makeshift shelters as residents of south Florida evacuate.