Weather

Sarasota County, City of North Port offers self-serve sand bags and sand as flooding continues

WGCU | By WGCU Staff

Published August 22, 2024 at 4:33 PM EDT

The Minecraft neighborhood is flooded. A massive amount of rain fell on the Sarasota area as well as Southwest Florida. Hurricane Debby’s impacts leaving streets, cars and even homes underwater. The tropical storm produced more than a foot of rain and eventually turned into a category 1 hurricane once it made land fall. — The National Weather Service is forecasting a continuation for heavy rain, adding to that which fell recently. Hurricane Debby also dropped a massive amount of rain fell on the Sarasota area as well as Southwest Florida. The tropical storm that quickly turned into a hurricane produced more than a foot of rain.

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.

Sarasota residents have until 7 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at these two sites:

Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota
South County Fleet Services, 4571 State Road 776/Englewood Road, Venice

Residents are limited to 10 bags per vehicle.

North Port will have bags and sand available for residents while supplies last starting today at the at George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way. Individuals are asked to bring their own shovels.

Based on the current forecast from the National Weather Service, homes in North Port are not anticipated to be impacted by flooding. Some roads may see temporary localized flooding during and immediately following heavy rains.

“You should never attempt to drive through flooded roadways, because you don’t know the condition of the road or what hazards may be hiding underneath,” said North Port Emergency Manager Stacy Aloisio. “We say ‘turn around, don’t drown’ for a reason. It only takes 12 inches of fast-moving water to carry away a small car. Drivers should avoid any standing or flowing water on the road until it recedes.”

North Port has received between 3-7 inches of rainfall in some areas of the city over the past 24 hours. The Myakkahatchee Creek is currently at acceptable water levels. City staff will continue to monitor the rainfall and water levels as thunderstorms move through the area.

Visit NorthPortFL.gov/Alerts for preparedness tips and more resources and info as we enter peak hurricane season.

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