Sarasota Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Hurricane Irma

SARASOTA, FL — As powerful Category 5 Hurricane Irma edges closer to Florida, the city of Sarasota has declared a local state of emergency. While no mandatory evacuations are in place, the city is bracing for the potential of 70 mph wind gusts starting Saturday evening.

“Declaring a local state of emergency in advance of the storm provides the city with more flexibility regarding expenditures and allocating resources,” the city said in a Thursday afternoon email. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Sarasota Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The city is planning to keep its administrative offices open on Friday. The Bobby Jones Golf Club will shut down on Saturday, while the emergency operations center is currently partially activated.

With the impacts Irma may have on Sarasota are still very much up in the air, the city is encouraging residents to “know their evacuation zone and the location of the nearby shelters.”

Analysis: Irma's 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Is Massive

Residents are also asked to pick up loose items from around their homes. No more yard waste should be placed out at curbs, the city’s email noted. If a special pickup is required, residents can call 941-365-7651. Extra pickups do come with a charge, though.

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By 2 p.m. Thursday, Irma was located about 70 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island. The Category 5 storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 175 mph while moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

On its current projected path, Hurricane Irma is expected to pass by Cuba on Friday and Saturday with the potential for landfall in south Florida on Sunday morning. As of the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. Sept. 7 update, almost the entire peninsula of Florida remained in the storm’s possible path.

Hurricane-force winds extended out from Irma by 60 miles Thursday. Tropical storm-force winds extended out 185 miles. Forecasters say, “some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days.”

• Also see: Hurricane Irma: Tampa Bay Area Remains In Cone

The National Weather Service’s Ruskin office expects the Tampa Bay area to witness deteriorating conditions over the next few days.

Sarasota city officials say there is a 70 percent chance of 70 mph wind gusts blowing into the area Saturday night. Irma is expected to be near the south Florida coastline Sunday morning.

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