WGCU Staff

We are not that far past the mid-point of the hurricane season in Florida and residents should bear in mind that potential rain-bearing weather systems can still move through the state.

Winds from Hurricane Helene caused damage and power outages Thursday.Numbers are taken from Florida Power and Light's power tracker map and Lee County Electric Cooperative's outage map.

Hurricane Helene's rain caused significant flooding across southwest Florida Thursday.WGCU will update this list of road closures using communication and social media posts from local municipalities.

Floodwaters are risks to more than just buildings. They can hurt humans, too.The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) urges residents to be aware of the health risks associated with flooding. Skin contact with flood waters does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk. However, health hazards are a concern when waters are or become contaminated with bacteria or contain dangerous debris.

A precautionary boil water issued communitywide Friday for Babcock Ranch has been rescinded.The community's Town & Country Utility Department issues boil water notices in cases where pressure in any part of the water distribution system has been reduced to zero, or a negative pressure, unless the zero pressure is due to an isolated water main break and the public water system can demonstrate that the integrity of the water system has been maintained.

A spate of inquiries to law enforcement has prompted one local agency to reach out to the community it protects to calm unwarranted concerns.A spokesman for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office issued an alert Wednesday morning about the topic."I am receiving a lot of inquiries about possible threats to our schools this morning. I thought it would be best to reach out to all of you at once to quell any rumors," Chris Hall, public relations officer at the Sheriff's Office, said.

Ahead of the Labor Day holiday, visitors to Sanibel and Captiva are reminded that Causeway Island beaches and parks will remain closed while under construction.

Due to a National Weather Service forecast for heavy rain, self-service sandbags are available for residents in Sarasota County and in the City of North Port.

Major upgrades along two key corridors in Punta Gorda will be getting underway this fall.The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One will start work on a project affecting both S.R. 35 (U.S. 17) and Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) aimed at enhancing road safety and traffic flow.

Polls were open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. today with a number of races decided now or up for selection for the General Election in November.An issue arose shortly after the polls closed Tuesday night when many supervisor of elections web sites were slow to update and even stopped working.