SIESTA KEY, Fla. — Sarasota County Emergency Management officials have emphasized the importance of getting out of harm’s way ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected "life-threatening" impacts on the Tampa Bay area.
Along with residents in Levels A and B and folks in mobile and manufactured homes and boat houses, Level C residents have also been instructed to evacuate.
As officials track the path of Hurricane Milton, which returned to a Category 5 status Tuesday evening, they are preparing for storm surge flooding upwards of 12 feet above ground — higher than a similar situation caused by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.
They are also asking everyone, whether within or outside the evacuation zones, to complete their evacuation process by Tuesday night and well before midday Wednesday.
Nearly a dozen shelters opened in Sarasota County with Riverview High School being removed from the list of evacuation centers.
The shelter at Tatum Elementary School has been designated as a special and medical needs evacuation center for vulnerable residents. The location is equipped with oxygen tanks and also has medical staff to support the operation.
“I evacuated because the whole state was too involved and sometimes my place has a hard time getting electricity back, so I’ll stay here and then go somewhere else,” Jayne Mayers, a Sarasota neighbor, said.
“This is the worst since 1974 since I've been down here, at least predicted. And I know that they predict the worst to make us feel safe and so when they say to evacuate, even when I lived in my home, which was safe as I had hurricane shutters, but I still evacuated,” Carol Gaeta, a Sarasota resident, said.
Each of the shelters can hold at least 200 people and all of the county schools are staying closed till Friday to accommodate evacuation center operations.
“A lot of a lot of our folks are dependent on power to keep medical devices moving, and things like that and I think we are anticipating losing power,” Barry Dunn, principal of Tatum Elementary School, said.
In Siesta Key, sheriff’s deputies shut down access bridges to the area at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Residents are only able to get off the island, but no entry will be allowed until after the storm and any search and rescue missions.
The normally bustling beach community was a shell of itself, practically empty as residents, tourists and business owners heeded the evacuation orders that were in effect for the entire island along with other barrier islands in the area.
"Now I'm thinking that there's a good chance we won't be spared so I'm in the thick of it with everyone and I feel like I have jumped right in the boat,” Jessica Huffman, a Siesta Key neighbor, said.
Sarasota Public Utilities have also cut off water and sewer services to Siesta Key, Casey Key, Long Boat Key and Manasota Key, and power companies, expecting a widespread loss of power, have staged more than 14,000 linemen to move in to restore power after the storm has passed.
"Our crews are ready. We are going to be responding for customers after the storm, just as quickly as we can after the storm has passed the week encourage customers to listen to the advice of local officials,” Marshall Hastings, an FPL spokesperson, said.
"We don't want people to be trapped in a neighborhood and not able to get out because there's flooding,” Sandra Tapfumaneyi, the Sarasota County Emergency Management chief, said.
“Our first responders are not going to be able to get to you during the storm and so that would be another reason you should leave the area if you were in one of those evacuation levels,” Tapfumaneyi added.
For the residents escaping paradise, what lies ahead on the other side of Milton is poised to be just too much for an already battered island.
“All I can do is hope that we will be able to build this island back just as beautiful as before, but it’s a dark cloud,” Huffman said.
Officials say to call the county helpline at 311 if you need help with evacuating.