State and Sarasota city, county declare states of emergency

Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 12 issued Executive Order 24-115 declaring a state of emergency in Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties in response to flooding in South Florida.

Both the Sarasota city and county governments have also declared a local state of emergency in response to the recent heavy rainfall and resulting flooding, and in anticipation of additional rain through the weekend.

The declaration provides the city and the county with more flexibility regarding expenditures and resource allocations, which may be necessary with additional rainfall and potential flooding forecasted. It also authorizes applications for state and federal financial assistance.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has coordinated with Florida Commerce to open a survey for businesses to report damages.

If your business experienced flooding into structures or if it is impacting your ability to run your business at all, a form is available at BusinessDamageAssessmentsSurvey - Florida Disaster.

This story has been updated to include the state's declaration.