Sarasota County officials declare state of emergency

Emergency Management officials plan to brief the Sarasota County Commission at its regular meeting today and inform commissioners they plan to declare a local state of emergency.

Sarasota County remains under a Tropical Storm Warning as Tropical Storm Debby continues to be a threat in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center is partially activated to a level-two status.

At the conclusion of the meeting, officials will ask for a local state of emergency due to the continuing threat and impacts of Tropical Storm Debby.

This is a proactive measure to allow Sarasota County to be prepared for any unforeseen expenditures due to the storm and to utilize the county's emergency operations plans. This action also provides the county the authority to coordinate the allocation of resources in protecting the community, critical infrastructure and general welfare.

Residents should continue to pay close attention to local news media for updates on the situation. Additional flooding, tornado warnings or other urgent updates can happen as Tropical Storm Debby churns across the Gulf of Mexico.

For information about storm preparation, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 or visit scgov.net and click on the All Hazards button.