Sarasota County officials say the time to evacuate is now

Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi. Screenshot via YouTube.

With Hurricane Milton forecasts showing a greater likelihood of landfall near Sarasota, officials there are urging anyone planning to evacuate to do so now.

“We don’t have much time left to take protective actions,” said Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi in a video online. “And if you are in an evacuation level A, B, C or you are in a mobile or manufactured home anywhere in the county, or if you live on a boat, you need to evacuate. You don’t have much time left.”

While Hurricane Milton isn’t expected to make landfall until early Thursday morning, winds are expected to strike the region sometime this afternoon.

Tapfumaneyi emphasized concerns about storm surge, saying forecasts now say parts of Sarasota County could see as much as 15 feet of storm surge.

An updated map shows many parts of coastal Sarasota County, including all of Longboat Key on the coast, will see 9-15 feet of storm surge. All of St. Armands Circle could experience flooding as well, and downtown Sarasota will likely see flooding.

Siesta Key could also see up to 9 feet of storm surge.

Tapfumaneyi stressed that the storm won’t stop at the coast and is expected to cross the Florida mainland. That brings the concern of hurricane-force winds and of storm surge in creek areas and other lowlands.

Much of Osprey, a Zone C evacuation area, could see significant flooding despite being inland compared to barrier island communities, she said. A map showed a potential for widespread flooding in low-lying Nokomis.

She also said parts of Interstate 75 are low-lying enough that they could flood. But much of South Sarasota County could see inland flooding depending on Milton’s storm track. Much of North Port could see flooding, especially along the Myakka River.

Tapfumaneyi noted that even if houses remain safe from flooding in some areas, roads could still see water. Officials advise against driving through flowing water.

“You are going to be an island inside your house for a while,” she said. “This is why we want you to evacuate out of this area.”