Southwest Florida braces for Hurricane Ian’s potential impact

Manatee County waste management steps up service Monday and Tuesday, but won't do pickup on Wednesday.

With the storm path for Hurricane Ian potentially bringing a major system to Southwest Florida, emergency officials are stepping up preparations.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch from Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, and a tropical storm watch from Englewood south to Chokoloskee. A storm surge warning is in effect from Anclote River south to Card Sound Bridge, covering all of coastal Southwest Florida.

Manatee County announced it has canceled yard waste and recycling for Wednesday, the day the storm could make landfall. But garbage, recycling and yard waste collection workers will aggressively try to clean out as much as possible on Monday and Tuesday.

Manatee County declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and Sarasota County declared one as well, as some models showed Ian tracking to the area.

In Manatee County, self-serve sandbags are available at Bennett Park, Buffalo Creek Park, Rubonia Community Center and Myakka Community Center, pre-made bags are available at Manatee Beach, Bayfront Park and Coquina Beach and full-service distribution is happening at G.T. Bray Park and the Bradenton Area Convention Center. Sarasota County set up self-serve locations at Ed Smith Station, Twin Lakes Park and South County Fleet. Venice city officials opened self-serve sandbagging at Wellfield Park, and North Port did so at the George Mullen Activity Center.

“This is a time to just kind of watch it, stay aware of what’s happening by watching the local media, putting your disaster supply kit (together). Just stay calm and know what you are going to do,” said Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane. “We don’t want people waiting until the light minute to put their supplies together.”

Further south, Charlotte County has partially activated its emergency operations center and continues to closely monitor the storm.

In Lee County, officials have partially activated emergency operations. The European model predicts Ian will make landfall in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area, but for now, there is no declaration of emergency.

Lee County Schools announced Monday afternoon that schools would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Collier County Commissioners already took that step and declared an emergency when the storm began to track more toward the mainland peninsula.

The University of South Florida canceled classes on all classes from Monday through Thursday, and will close completely beginning Tuesday. New College of Florida quickly followed suit. Florida Gulf Coast University said normal operations will proceed on Monday as officials monitor the storm.