Hurricane Preparedness for the 2025 Season
As the 2025 Hurricane season approaches — beginning June 1 and lasting through November 30—residents and local businesses may need to prepare for storms, flooding and high winds. Manatee County Emergency Management Chief, Matthew Myers, notes that locals will have to be especially careful this year as lasting damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton has left many buildings less safe, and encourages residents to finish any construction work on their homes soon. “We got hit pretty hard last year, and I don’t want people to be complacent and think we got hit last year so we’re going to be good this year,” Myers says. “People need to stay vigilant. Even if we’re hoping that we don’t get anything, we need to just be prepared regardless.” A variety of educational resources on hurricane preparedness are available on the Sarasota County Government website, as well as the Manatee County Government website. State and local resources, including evacuation centers, emergency transportation and low-interest loans for repairs are available to residents in case of an emergency. Compiled by Cecilia Mouldy
State and Local Resources
Sarasota County Hurricane Preparedness Plans Online www.scgov.net/government/emergency-services/hurricane-preparedness-6291
Manatee County Hurricane Preparedness Plans Online www.mymanatee.org/departments/public-safety-department/emergency-management-division
Sarasota and Manatee County Alert Systems
Residents can sign up online for severe weather and evacuation order alerts.
Sandbag filling stations will vary with each storm and can be found online. extreme-weather-dashboard-manateegis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/sandbags
Transportation Rally Points for Sarasota County
Although the County recommends residents find alternative transportation options to emergency centers, such as personal transportation or Breeze Transit service, free bus transportation to and from shelters for residents and pets is offered as a last-resort option. This transportation leaves from rally point locations around the city and drops residents off at emergency shelters. THIS SEASON
Laurel Park — 509 Collins Rd., Nokomis
Venice Community Center — 326 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice
Suncoast Technical College — 4675 Career Ln., North Port
Garden Elementary School — 700 Center Rd., Venice
George Mullen Activity Center — 1602 Kramer Way, North Port
North Port Library — 13800 Tamiami Trl., North Port
Buchan Airport Community Park
— 1390 Old Englewood Rd., Englewood
Englewood Sports Complex — 1300 S. River Rd., Englewood
Breeze Transit UTC Transfer Station — Mall at University
Town Center, 500 N. Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota
Publix Super Market at Shoppes of Bay Isles — 525 Bay Isles Parkway, Longboat Key
Breeze Transit Downtown Transfer Station — 150 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota
Lido Public Beach — 400 Benjamin Franklin Dr., Sarasota
Colonial Oaks Park — 5300 Colonial Oaks Blvd., Sarasota
Siesta Public Beach — 948 Beach Rd., Sarasota
Potter Park — 8587 Potter Park Dr., Sarasota
Pine View School — 1 Python Path, Osprey
Sarasota County Evacuation Centers
Residents should keep in mind that shelter openings vary with each emergency.
Booker High School — 3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota
Fruitville Elementary School — 601 Honore Ave., Sarasota
Southside Elementary School — 1901 Webber St., Sarasota
Brookside Middle School — 3635 S. Shade Ave., Sarasota
Phillippi Shores Elementary — 4747 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Riverview High School — 1 Ram Way, Sarasota
Gulf Gate Elementary School — 6500 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota
Manatee County Special Needs Registry
Taylor Ranch Elementary School — 2500 Taylor Ranch Trail, Venice
Heron Creek Middle School — 6501 W. Price Blvd., North Port
North Port High School — 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port
Woodland Middle School — 2700 Panacea Blvd., North Port
Atwater Elementary School — 4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port
Those in need of transportation or sheltering assistance in the case of an evacuation order can apply online. Eligible conditions include, but are not limited to, being dependent on supplemental oxygen or an official diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
Manatee County Evacuation Centers
Residents should keep in mind that shelter openings vary with each emergency.
Mills Elementary School — 7200 69th St. E., Palmetto
Myakka City Elementary School — 37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City
Miller Elementary School — 601 43rd St. W., Bradenton
Freedom Elementary School — 9515 State Road 64 E., Bradenton
Gullet Elementary School — 12125 44th Ave. E., Bradenton
McNeal Elementary School — 6325 Lorraine Rd., Bradenton
Dr. Mona Jain Middle School — 12205 44th Ave. E., Bradenton
Haile Middle School — 9501 State Rd. 64 E., Bradenton
Harvey Elementary School — 8610 115th Ave. E., Parrish
Sugg Middle School — 3801 59th St. W., Bradenton
Prine Elementary School — 3801 Southern Parkway, Bradenton
Willis Elementary School — 14705 The Masters Ave., Bradenton
Braden River High School — 6545 State Rd. 70 E., Bradenton
Reduced Permit Fees Post-Storm
Buffalo Creek Middle School — 7320 69th St. E., Palmetto
Oneco Elementary School — 5214 22nd St. Court E., Bradenton
Rogers Garden Elementary School — 515 13th Ave. W., Bradenton
Williams Elementary School — 3404 Fort Hamer Rd., Parrish
Witt Elementary School — 200 Rye Rd., Bradenton
Lee Middle School — 4000 53rd Ave. W., Bradenton
Braden River Middle School — 6215 River Club Blvd., Bradenton
Daughtrey Elementary School — 515 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton
Johnson K-8 — 2121 26th Ave. E., Bradenton
Kinnan Elementary School — 3415 Tallevast Rd., Sarasota
Seabreeze Elementary School — 3601 71st St. West, Bradenton
Tillman Elementary School — 1415 29th St. E., Palmetto
Manatee High School — 902 33rd St. Court W., Bradenton
Following a hurricane, Sarasota County offers reduced permit fees for work to repair damage caused by the storms — information on which reduced fees are available for each storm can be found on the county website. Sarasota County may also offer expedited permitting for storm-related repairs. www.scgov.net/government/planning-and-development-services/building/disaster-recovery.
Business Disaster Recovery Support
Florida Small Business Development Centers offer assistance to businesses impacted by hurricanes. Consultants at these centers provide support in navigating recovery programs, including Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans, SBA Physical Disaster Loans and the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. More information can be found on the website. (www.sarasotafl.gov/business-resources/hurricane-assistance)
SBA Disaster Loans are offered with low interest rates to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofit organizations following a hurricane. The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program offer short-term, zero-interest loans for businesses intended to bridge the gap between the disaster and securing long term funding.
THIS SEASON
Florida Power and Light
HAVING A PLAN READY BEFORE A STORM IS ON FLORIDA’S DOORSTEP WILL ENSURE YOU CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. SOME WAYS YOU CAN START CRAFTING YOUR PLANS INCLUDE:
• Making sure you know how to operate a generator safely during a potential outage.
• Checking radios, flashlights, batteries and phone chargers.
• Having a plan ready including evacuation or backup generation—for any family members who rely on medically necessary devices that require electricity.
• Calling 911 and 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) if you see downed power lines or damaged electrical equipment after a storm.
• Bookmarking FPL.com, downloading the FPL Mobile App and saving 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) to your cell phone to report and check the status of your restoration.
FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT (FPL) IS CONTINUING ITS YEAR-ROUND PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANES AND SEVERE WEATHER BY INVESTING IN AND ENHANCING THE ELECTRIC GRID THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THIS INCLUDES:
• Hardening the electric system with steel, concrete and reinforced wooden power poles.
• Undergrounding power lines in select neighborhoods with the Storm Secure Underground Program, improving our resiliency systemwide and our efficiency during storm restoration.
• Installing smart grid technology that helps customers avoid outages altogether and helps us restore power faster following hurricanes and severe weather.
• Maintaining trees and other vegetation around thousands of miles of power lines.
Working for you. Every single day. Every day we’re not responding to a storm, we’re preparing for one.
“Our investments to make the electric grid stronger and smarter have proven eff ective in getting the lights back on faster for our customers following hurricanes and severe weather. Nevertheless, no electric grid can be 100% stormproof. That is why we encourage you to prepare your emergency plans, so your families and businesses are ready, too.”
—
Armando Pimentel, FPL president and CEO
Florida Power and Light | Sarasota 5657 McIntosh Rd | Sarasota, FL 34233 FPL.com
For tips, checklists and resources for developing emergency plans, visit FPL.com/Storm.
Preparing for the Hurricane with Pets
Residents with pets should take additional precautions in preparing for hurricane season, according to Myers and Manatee County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi. Ahead of the season, Tapfumaneyi recommends that owners microchip their pets — if owners and pets are separated during a disaster, a microchip can facilitate finding the pet after the storm. Whether families might need to evacuate or shelter-in-place, Sarasota County also recommends preparing a pet emergency kit with a week’s supply of food, water and medication. The kit should also include current vaccination records, a proper identification collar with a rabies tag, a carrier or crate, cat litter with a box and scooper, plastic bags and cleaning materials. Tapfumaneyi also recommends that owners bring a current photo of them with their pet in the case of separation, as well as any comfort items the pet may need such as toys or treats.
In the case of a storm, if evacuation orders are issued, residents should not leave their pets alone at home. All Sarasota County evacuation centers are pet-friendly, but pets are required to remain in a crate or carrier while there unless being exercised—Tapfumaneyi notes that if owners plan to stay at a shelter in case of evacuation, they should acclimate their pets to being in a crate ahead of time. However, she recommends that owners find family or friends to stay with. It’s another reason to try to find a family or friend to stay with so the pet can be roaming around the home instead of in the crate the whole time. In Manatee County, only Miller Elementary School, Mills Elementary School and Freedom Elementary School, as well as all special needs shelters, are pet-friendly. If owners do bring their pets to any of these Sarasota or Manatee County shelters, they should bring their pet emergency kit and be aware that they will be responsible for their pet’s care. Myers notes that Manatee County Animal Welfare will be at pet-friendly emergency centers to assist, but that owners should still know they are primarily responsible for their pets. Compiled by Cecilia Mouldy
Tips for Preparation
Take steps to protect your home — secure loose rain gutters and clear clogged areas or debris, secure and reinforce the roof, windows and doors and learn how to turn off gas, water and electricity. Consider building a FEMA safe room in your home designed to protect from high winds and flood waters.
Prepare a ‘shelter-in-place’ checklist, which should include canned food and a can opener, paper items, baby needs, medications, prescriptions, a first aid kit, a battery-operated flashlight, extra batteries, cash, pet supplies and photocopies of important documents. In the case of an emergency, those sheltering-in-place should clean bathtubs or other large containers and fill with water. Other needs will include one gallon of drinking water per person per day, for at least 3 days and at least half a tank of gasoline in the car. Finish repairs on damage from last season’s hurricanes to ensure homes are up to previous level of safety. Consider installing impact-resistant windows or hurricane shutters.
Sign up for local weather and evacuation alerts for Sarasota or Manatee Counties. Businesses should ensure that all employees have a hurricane preparedness plan and a plan in place for evacuation and continue to check in with employees in the event of a storm. Businesses should also have a recovery plan in place for clearing debris, repairing any damages and reopening. Review insurance policies for better understanding of what damages might be covered. Consider purchasing flood insurance.
Myers and Tapfumaneyi both encourage residents to check in on neighbors and employees and ensure that they have plans for communication in case traditional methods are cut off. “I want people to know that they should be checking on their neighbors,” Myers says. “They should be making sure that their plans are consistent. If they know that their neighbors are not going to be home, that’s one less place that we might have to look if we’re having to do search and rescue. Make sure that you’re helping each other out.”
