Hurricane Irma may have a long-lasting impact on Venice beside the damage and memories. City Manager Len Bramble told ABC-7 the city wants to take a full inventory of buildings and find out which are safe in a storm, and which could be used as a shelter. Sarasota County initially refused to open the Venice Community Center as a shelter, claiming it was only at 13 feet elevation- 2 feet below the forecast storm surge. The building, though, actually sits at 19 feet above sea level. Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert said Venice “should never have been left without a shelter” and promised it would never happen again. The county has also hired outside consultants to look at its response to hurricanes.
