Sarasota County schools closed Monday

Sarasota County emergency management officials this afternoon announced that Sarasota County schools will be closed Monday, and staff has begun notifying special needs residents of a possible evacuation starting tomorrow in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac.

The storm is expected to become a weak hurricane late tomorrow or early Monday, according to a county news release. More troubling for Siesta Key, and low-elevation homeowners, Isaac could generate a storm surge one foot greater than what the county experienced in June from Tropical Storm Debby.

Heavy flooding caused the closure of several Sarasota County roadways while Debby slowly churned through the Gulf of Mexico. And Beach Road, which was closed for nearly 12 hours June 25, has still not received a $1.13 million improvement for stormwater drainage planned for earlier this summer, meaning Siesta residents should look for alternative routes and expect road closures early next week.

Sarasota County staff will continue to monitor Isaac's progress and decide tomorrow whether to evacuate low-lying, coastal areas, said the release.