Jacob Ogles
Manatee County emergency officials are now warning residents to “shelter in place.” The alert comes as Hurricane Milton forecasts now show the storm’s path shifting south of Tampa Bay and with Anna Maria Island at risk of some of the highest storm surge in Florida.
“Find a safe location indoors and stay there until you are given an all clear to leave,“ reads a social media alert from the county.
Meanwhile, officials in Sarasota County report Venice Fishing Pier already has reported sustained winds of up to 22 miles per hour. When winds reach 45 mph, officials warn that first responders will no longer be on the roads.
“There will come a point in time when winds hit sustained 45 mph or we see gusts of 75 mph, that we may not be able to respond to your emergency,” said Darin Wallentine, Sarasota County Deputy Fire Chief, in an online video.
“We still need you to call 911 when you have emergency needs. But at some point, we’re going to have to shelter in place, just like you will, during this storm. As soon as the conditions warrant and it’s safe for our crews to get back on the road, we will be responding to all of those 911 calls.”
Bradenton Police say they have equipped vehicles with water rescue equipment. But officials there also warned if winds hit the area directly, that will impact the speed of response.
“First responders from across our area are ready to jump into action — but please keep in mind that police, fire, and EMS will be unable to respond to emergency calls once winds top 40-45 miles per hour,” a social media post reads.
Sarasota Police told residents to expect power outages and have advised treating all intersections without lighting as four-way stops. Images of minor street flooding are already being shared by police and emergency officials in both counties.
