Sarasota County sets sandbag filling stations

Sarasota County will make free sandbags available at three sites, beginning Friday morning.

From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., residents can get 10 free sandbags per household at these locations:

• Ed Smith Stadium,  2700 12th St., Sarasota
• Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road in unincorporated Sarasota County
• South County Fleet Facility, 4571 State Road 776/Englewood Road, Venice

County officials are monitoring the storm, which is forecast to make landfall this holiday weekend on the east coast of Florida, possibly as a major hurricane with winds of 130 mph.

No watches or warnings have been posted in Florida, though a state of emergency has been declared for 26 counties along the Atlantic coast.