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Sarasota and Manatee counties are currently in danger from Hurricane Milton. Here's the latest:

Hurricane Milton: Milton is forecast to become a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 145 mph before it makes landfall on Wednesday. Sarasota and Manatee counties are currently directly in the storm's forecast track. See the latest forecast.

Sandbags: Here is where you can find the open sandbag locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Evacuations: The City of Anna Maria will order a mandatory evacuation at noon tomorrow. Sarasota County will call for evacuations for people living in Level A (and potentially Level B). Here's how to find your evacuation level in Sarasota County and in Manatee County.

School Closures: Sarasota County has announced schools will close starting Monday. Manatee County is also closing schools starting Monday.

See below for the latest updates as Sarasota and Manatee counties prepare for another potentially devastating storm.

Hurricane Milton continued to rapidly intensify Sunday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds reaching 85 mph, according to the latest National Hurricane Center advisory. The storm was about 805 miles southwest of Tampa and moving east at about 7 mph.

The NHC now predicts that Hurricane Milton's maximum sustained winds will reach 145 mph, making it a Category 4 storm before making landfall.

"The NHC forecast is raised from the previous one and lies near the intensity consensus model and still could be too low," reads the forecast.

Though Hurricane Milton was expected to be a small storm, that has also changed.

"We are expecting Milton to be a large hurricane at landfall, with very dangerous impacts spread out over a big area," reads the forecast.

Forecasters say the storm is expected to move more east-northeast on Monday and pick up speed Tuesday. On the forecast track, Milton is forecast to move just north of the Yucatan Peninsula and across the southern Gulf of Mexico Monday and Tuesday and approach the west coast of Florida by Wednesday.

Storm Surge and Hurricane Watches are expected to be issued for parts of Florida later Sunday or early Monday.

Milton is forecast to become a major hurricane on Monday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.

Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches, with localized totals up to 15 inches, are expected across portions of the FloridaPeninsula and the Keys through Wednesday night, creating a risk of flooding. The NHC has still not released a storm surge forecast for the area.

To help expedite storm debris removal before the potential landfall of Hurricane Milton, Sarasota County is providing the option for community members in previously identified unincorporated county areas of the Level A - Storm Debris collection areas to take debris from their properties to the county landfill without incurring a fee.

All disposal areas at the Central County Landfill are open* Monday, Oct.7 and Tuesday, Oct. 8:

Monday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sarasota County crews are focusing all efforts on removing Hurricane Helene debris and curbside materials from community areas in Level A, the county said. All recycling collections are suspended through the week of Oct. 7. For community areas not in Evacuation Level A, all regular garbage, yard waste, and bulk collections are suspended through Wednesday, Oct. 9. Do not put out any materials for curbside collection. Conditions will be assessed to determine when regular collections will resume after Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Sandbags

Self-service sandbags will be offered to Sarasota County residents Monday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., at the following locations:

Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St.Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, SarasotaSouth County Fleet Services, 4571 SR 776/Englewood Road, VeniceResidents are limited to 10 bags per vehicle.

The School District of Manatee County has announced that all public schools will be closed from Monday through Wednesday in advance of Hurricane Milton, following a similar announcement from Sarasota County earlier today.

"We are working closely with Manatee County Emergency Management to prepare for the impact of Hurricane Milton. The district has been notified that several of our schools will be needed as storm shelters beginning tomorrow, Monday, October 7, 2024," reads the announcement.

North Port in a news release urged residents to prepare for impacts from Hurricane Milton.

Sarasota County will be calling for evacuations in Level A and potentially Levels A and B. This includes those in manufactured home communities or mobile or boat homes. North Port residents who live in low-lying areas or who have experienced flooding of their homes in the past are urged to implement their preparedness plans, the city said.

North Port Fire Chief Scott Titus reminded residents of those areas that this should be considered a “mandatory” evacuation and urged them to take it seriously.

"If you do not leave, there is a strong likelihood you would be inaccessible by emergency services for the duration of the storm and multiple days following," Titus said. "You will likely be without power and could have high levels of water and hazards in your home that have a likelihood of danger to life and health."

If you plan to leave the area, do so now. This is expected to be one of the largest evacuations along our state's west coast.

Visit scgov.net to view a list of Sarasota County evacuation centers or find your evacuation level.

All residents should take this time to prepare their properties and their disaster kits, including enough water, non-perishable food and medicine for a minimum of seven days for each member of their family.

Street ponding expectedFor the past 10 days, Department of Public Works staff have been doing all they can to lower water levels throughout North Port's stormwater system in preparation of the anticipated rain. However, because the ground is already saturated from our near record rainfall this year, there will still be ponding in the streets due to additional excessive rainfall, the city said.

SandbagsThe city has opened a self-serve sandbag station at the Larry Thoennissen Athletic Fields behind the George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way. Bags and sand will be available while supplies last, with a limit of 10 bags per vehicle. Residents are asked to bring their own shovels. There are no scheduled opening or closing hours.

Emergency declarationThe City Commission will hold an emergency meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at City Hall to declare a local state of emergency. This measure is a procedural step to allow emergency funding for any necessary repairs.

ClosuresWarm Mineral Springs Park will be closed Monday, Oct. 7, and until further notice.

Stay informedRegister for emergency notifications at AlertSarasotaCounty.com. Text "NPStrong" to 888777 to receive City of North Port text alerts. Get email updates from the City of North Port by subscribing at NorthPortFL.gov/Subscribe.

According to the 2 p.m. National Hurricane Center update, Tropical Storm Milton has become Hurricane Milton, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

The path of the storm has remained static, leaving Sarasota and Manatee counties almost directly in the center. The current forecast would have Hurricane Milton making landfall in our area on Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center says we can expect between 5-8 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches in localized areas, but has not yet specified what Sarasota and Manatee can expect from storm surge.

AccuWeather forecasters, however, have predicted more than 10 feet of surge.

"Milton has the potential to become one of Florida's most damaging and costly hurricanes, bringing a variety of life-threatening dangers," warned AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. "This includes an extreme storm surge of 10-15 feet along and near the coast, including in the Tampa Bay area, destructive winds and major flooding to one of the most densely populated areas of Florida, the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando."

Sarasota County Schools announced that all traditional public schools will be closed from Monday through Wednesday in preparation for possible shelter openings. This comes after Sarasota County announced that it will order evacuations for all Level A and potentially Level B residents.

Sarasota County has announced that it will call for evacuations for people living in Level A zones, and may also call for evacuations of people living in Level B, ahead of Tropical Storm Milton, which is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

"If you live in Level A or B, manufactured home or a mobile or boat home, NOW is the time to implement your plan, if staying with a family member or friend in a different level or leaving the area. If your plan is to leave the area, do so. This will be one of the largest evacuations along our state’s west coast. If you wait, you will get stuck in traffic," reads the announcement.

The state's top emergency management official said he's preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017's Hurricane Irma as Florida girds for yet another major Gulf hurricane only a week and a half after Hurricane Helene slapped the state's west coast.

Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie appeared with Gov. Ron DeSantis at the state's Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee on Sunday morning. What is expected to become Hurricane Milton could make landfall Wednesday as a category 3 storm, possibly between Tampa and Naples.

Read the full story.

According to the 11 a.m. National Hurricane Center update, Tropical Storm Milton's projected path has shifted slightly south, making Sarasota and Manatee counties the likeliest target of the storm.

"The new NHC forecast is adjusted south of the previous one, especially early on, and further southward adjustments could be required if the guidance trend continues," reads the NHC forecast.

Tropical Storm Milton's maximum sustained winds are now at 65 mph and the storm is now expected to strengthen more than previously predicted. The storm is now expected to reach maximum sustained winds of 125 mph before landfall sometime on Wednesday.

Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches could be required for portions of Florida late today, the NHC said.

Sarasota and Manatee counties can expect to begin feeling tropical storm winds on Tuesday evening.

The City of Anna Maria will order a mandatory evacuation ahead of potential Hurricane Milton, according to a post by the Bradenton Police Department and the City of Anna Maria website. The evacuation will be ordered at noon tomorrow.

The National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. update shows that Tropical Storm Milton is becoming better organized and the path is still centered on the area between Sarasota and Tampa, but there are several factors that may alter where the storm eventually makes landfall.

"While the track guidance is generally in good agreement on this scenario, there remains some spread in both the track and forward speed, so it is too early to specify which portions of the Florida Peninsula will get the worst impacts," reads the NHC forecaster's discussion.

According to the forecaster, how much Milton will strengthen is also uncertain, with models suggesting outcomes ranging from Category 1 to Category 5. NHC's current forecast predicts winds of 120 mph, or Category 3, when Milton makes landfall.

"However, this is below the intensity consensus, and it would not be surprising if the storm gets stronger," says the NHC forecaster.

No matter the specific details of potential Hurricane Milton, "there is increasing confidence that a powerful hurricane with life-threatening hazards will be affecting portions of the Florida west coast around the middle of this week," says the NHC forecast.

North Port: A self-serve sandbag station is open behind the George Mullen Activity Center at 1602 Kramer Way. Sand and bags will be available while supplies last. Residents should bring their own shovels.

Bradenton: Sandbags are available on Sunday, October 6, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Public Works Annex, 1411 9th Street West. Enter from 9th Street West and follow signs into the area behind the annex. You must provide a valid ID demonstrating city residency.

Venice: The City of Venice will open its self-service sandbag station for residents on Monday, Oct. 7, starting at 8 a.m. at 252 Seaboard Ave. Both sands and bags will be available, as supplies last.

Manatee County: Find all sandbag locations on Manatee County's Severe Weather Information Center page.