Operation Storm Watch
Welcome to our “Operation Storm Watch” page’ WENG Radio has created this page to guide you through the 2024 hurricane season in Sarasota and Charlotte County, Florida. At WENG, we understand the vital role that local radio plays in times of crisis, serving as a lifeline for our community when communication is paramount. From timely weather updates and evacuation notices to expert insights and community resources, our station stands ready to be your constant companion throughout the impending storms. Join us as we navigate the challenges of the upcoming hurricane season together, ensuring that you have the information and support you need to weather any storm.
HURRICANE HELENE
UPDATE 12 PM Wednesday September 25th
Hurricane Helene Strengthens as it Heads Towards Florida
Hurricane Helene intensified on Wednesday as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico, with forecasters warning it could become a major hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s northwestern coast. The storm, currently 500 miles southwest of Tampa, has sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Helene is expected to gain further strength, potentially reaching Category 3 status, as it approaches the Big Bend area of Florida by late Thursday. The NHC has predicted high surf, storm surges, and heavy winds along Florida’s Gulf Coast beginning Wednesday night.
The storm first developed as a tropical system on Tuesday in the western Caribbean, causing significant flooding in the Cayman Islands. It is now moving northwest at 9 mph, located 45 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and 120 miles southwest of Cuba’s western tip.
North Port Activates Emergency Center
As the storm approaches, North Port has activated its emergency center, with city employees available to assist residents, despite City Hall being closed. Sarasota County’s emergency hotline can also be reached at 311 for updates and assistance. Residents are encouraged to bookmark NorthPortFL.gov/Alerts for the latest information.
Schools Convert to Shelters
In preparation for the hurricane, Sarasota County schools have closed through Friday, with some buildings being converted into shelters. These shelters are set to open at noon on Wednesday. Schools in Charlotte and DeSoto counties will remain closed Thursday and Friday.
Shelters in Sarasota County include:
- Atwater Elementary, North Port
- Booker High, Sarasota
- Brookside Middle, Sarasota
- Gulf Gate Elementary, Sarasota
- Heron Creek Middle, North Port
- North Port High, North Port
- Riverview High, Sarasota
- Southside Elementary, Sarasota
- Taylor Ranch Elementary, Venice
Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor said, “We are ready to serve our community and are coordinating with local authorities to provide shelter and assistance.”
Water Management District Prepares for Storm
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 1 in response to Helene. The district is monitoring water levels and controlling water structures throughout its 16-county area, ensuring that lakes and waterways remain within operational ranges. The EOC will provide daily updates to state and local agencies and will mobilize additional personnel as needed.
Evacuation Orders Announced
Sarasota County has issued evacuation orders for residents in Level A zones, manufactured home communities, and areas including:
- Forked Creek, Englewood
- Curry Creek and Hatchett Creek, Venice
- Myakka River, North Port
All evacuation centers are pet-friendly, but residents are advised to bring supplies such as crates, bedding, and pet food. For a full list of evacuation centers, visit scgov.net/beprepared.
As Helene moves closer, residents across the region are urged to stay informed and take precautions to ensure their safety.
Update 12 PM Sarasota County Declares Local State of Emergency, and Plans for Evacuations on Wednesday
SARASOTA COUNTY – 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, Sept. 25, at 7 a.m. Evacuation centers in Sarasota County will open at noon Wednesday.
Community members can identify their evacuation level and the nearest evacuation on the county’s website (click the links below).
Know Your Level
Evacuation Centers
“Sarasota County is taking action to prepare for impacts from the storm. Residents are encouraged to act now and make their needed preparations today,” said Jonathan Lewis Sarasota County Administrator.
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.
Sandbag operations continue Tuesday until 6 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:
Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road.
Ed Smith Stadium (parking lot), 2700 12th St.
South County Fleet Services, 4571 State Road 776/Englewood Road.
There is a 10-bags per-vehicle limit.
Sarasota County Government offices are closed today and Wednesday, Sept. 24-25, to prepare for the storm’s impact.
Solid Waste is operating normally for Tuesday, Sept. 24 including curbside collection services, and the Landfill will be open during normal hours.
All Breeze services (Breeze bus and trolley routes, Breeze OnDemand, and non-medical Breeze Plus trips) are operating on a normal schedule for Tuesday, Sept. 24. Service updates are available at scgov.net.
Register for emergency notifications at alertsarasotacounty.com. Monitor local media stations, follow @SRQCountyGov on social media, visit scgov.net, or dial 311 for the latest information.
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs, or activities.
View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA compliance).
City of Sarasota declares local state of emergency for Tropical Storm Helene; City offices to close Thursday
In response to the rainfall and storm surge expected with Tropical Storm Helene, the City of Sarasota has declared a local state of emergency.
Post Date:09/24/2024 11:00 AM
Sarasota, FL: In response to the rainfall and storm surge expected with Tropical Storm Helene, the City of Sarasota has declared a local state of emergency. City Manager Marlon Brown approved the declaration in consultation and coordination with Sarasota County officials, Emergency Manager Todd Kerkering and Mayor Liz Alpert.
City of Sarasota administrative offices will be closed Thursday, Sept. 26 for the storm.
The local state of emergency provides the City with more flexibility regarding expenditures and resource allocations required due to impacts from the storm.
City Operations
- City of Sarasota administrative offices, recreational facilities and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will be closed Thursday, Sept. 26
- Thursday and Friday garbage/recycling/yard waste pickup will be delayed one day. Thursday collection will be Friday. Regular Friday pickup will be Saturday. This schedule is weather dependent and may change. Stay tuned for updates.
- Code Compliance hearings scheduled for Thursday are canceled. To reschedule a hearing, call 941-263-6417 or email [email protected]
- The Overtown Square grand opening celebration scheduled for Thursday is rescheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Additional Resources
Sarasota Schools: For information regarding school closures, visit SarasotaCountySchools.net or follow Sarasota County Schools on social media.
Evacuation Centers: Information about evacuation centers is available via Sarasota County at www.SCgov.net
Emergency notifications: To receive emergency notifications via Alert Sarasota, register at www.AlertCitySarasota.com
Stay up to date: For the latest updates visit www.Sarasotafl.gov/Alerts Also, follow the City of Sarasota social media channels and monitor local news and weather reports.
Helena Update 11:00 AM
- Charlotte County Florida has ordered Evacuations for
- Barrier islands,
- Low-lying and flood prone areas,
- Manufactured homes, and homes that don’t meet 1995 building codes.
For information on the flood risk to a specific property, to find an Elevation Certificate, or Letter of Map Amendment for your property, please visit the Charlotte County GIS Mapping site at www.ccgis.com. By entering the mapping site you can input your address and click on the Parcel ID. This will direct you to another site that has information on the property.
UPDATES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH ON POTENTIAL HURRICANE HELENE
SARASOTA COUNTY
Sarasota County Government offices will be closed on Tuesday, Sept 24 out of an abundance of caution to focus on storm preparations for Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.
- Solid Waste will be operating normally for Tuesday, Sept. 24 including curbside collection services, and the Landfill will be open during normal hours.
- All Breeze services (Breeze bus and trolley routes, Breeze OnDemand, and non-medical Breeze Plus trips) will operate on a normal schedule for Tuesday, Sept. 24. Visit scgov.net/breeze for service updates.
We encourage our community to sign up for emergency alerts. The 311 Call Center will be available to answer calls with extended evening hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Stay up-to-date by following #SRQCounty on social media @SRQCountyGov, visiting scgov.net/storm, or subscribing to our Emergency Updates newsletter at https://bit.ly/3Cajfjz.
Sarasota County, Florida
Emergency Management officials recommend updating emergency plans, ensuring contact information is current, refreshing disaster supply kits and checking in on neighbors if possible, especially those new to the area.
A crucial part of a preparedness plan is purchasing flood insurance as homeowners’ and renters’ insurance may not cover flood damage. Learn more about flood insurance floodsmart.gov/find.
For information about how to prepare for hurricane season and available resources such as the disaster preparedness guide, visit scgov.net/beprepared.
Know Your Risk and Your Home: Evacuation plans are crucial in knowing where to go if a home is not safe and should include knowing when to evacuate. According to Sarasota County Emergency Management officials, there may be risk for storm surge even if water can’t be seen from home.
Check and memorize your hurricane evacuation level. Enter your address in the map online at scgov.net/beprepared to learn your level.
Manufactured homes, RVs, boats and homes that are not able to withstand strong winds or heavy rains are not safe during a hurricane. Mobile homes, boats and RVs are always in evacuation level A, regardless of where they are in the county.
Be Prepared: Create an evacuation plan, a communications plan, and a disaster kit that fits the specific needs of a household, including pets, for up to 10 days.
Learn more about sales tax holidays for select disaster preparedness and home hardening supplies at floridarevenue.com.
Residents in low-lying areas, barrier islands manufactured homes and boats should prepare an evacuation plan and know where they will go in the event they need to leave their home.
Those not in an evacuation level with homes built to code after 2002 may be more comfortable sheltering in place, but should still be prepared for power outages or flooding.
Have a well-supplied disaster kit as resources and support may not be available within the first week of a storm.
Those with qualifying medical needs should complete the Medically Dependent online application. Online applications will stop being accepted at 48 hours prior to expected impact of a storm.
Those who need transportation to an evacuation center should fill out the online form. The registration process will close when a storm’s landfall is expected within 72 hours.
Keep vehicle’s gas tanks at least half full throughout hurricane season to ensure having enough fuel to evacuate to avoid gas shortages and waiting in long lines before a storm. Electric vehicles should be moved away from homes.
Stay Informed: Sign up for Alert Sarasota County or the Sarasota County emergency newsletter to stay informed in the event of an emergency on scgov.net.
Monitor local media and Sarasota County social media accounts for important preparedness information. Follow directions of local officials and have a flashlight and battery-operated or hand-crank radio available in the event the power goes out.
For more information on how to prepare for hurricane season, visit scgov.net/beprepared or call 311 in Sarasota County.
Charlotte County, Florida
Alert Charlotte Emergency Alert Program
Get alerted about emergencies by signing up for Alert Charlotte. This system enables us to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.
You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how.
Sign up or Login on Alert Charlotte.
If we can’t REACH you, we can’t ALERT you!
re is a link to complete information regarding Hurricane safety and preparation for Charlotte County.
https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/index.stml
Know Your Zone
Evacuation Zones are not based solely on the elevation of your residence. The Zones are determined using data provided by the National Hurricane Center, elevation, and evacuation routes. Storm surge does no correlate with the category of the storm.
Do not base your decision to remain in your residence on storm category. Your decision should be based on the recommendations of the Office of Emergency Management. Know where you will evacuate to in advance and leave well before the storm. Since Charlotte County has very low elevation and is surrounded by water, it may not be possible to open any shelters in the County so make plans to evacuate to another area.
- A – Red
- B – Orange
- C – Yellow
- D – Green
- E – Purple
https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/know-your-zone.stml
In addition to the Charlotte County Emergency Management website, there are several ways to get information from the Office of Emergency Management:
- @OEMCharlotteCounty on Facebook
- @charlottefleoc on Instagram
- @CCOEM on Twitter
- Nextdoor
- Alert Charlotte
National Weather Service
National FEMA Alerts for Smartphones. Short text messages to alert you of imminent threats, amber alerts, and presidential alerts. You will be alerted no matter where you are in the nation. If you are near a cell tower that is being alerted, you will get it on your cell. Additional information on Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Weather Radio: This valuable device can save your life by alerting you of approaching hazardous weather. They can be bought locally and programmed for Charlotte County alerts only if you chose. Charlotte County FIPS code is 012015. This service is provided by the National Weather Service. The alert is tested every Wednesday.
Local Radio Stations
- WCCF AM 1580
- WENG AM 1530, FM 98.1, FM 107.5
- WIKX FM 92.9
- WBCG FM 98.9
- WCVU FM 104.9
- WINK FM 96.9
- WCKT FM 100.9
Go to www.ontheradio.net for more information.
Local TV Stations
- Wink 11.1
- WBBH 20.1
- WZVN 26.1
- WWSB 40.1
- WFTX 36.1
Charlotte County TV (CC-TV) on Comcast Channels 20 & 97.
Or you can stream CC-TV live from your computer.
Local News Media