SARASOTA — Officials were quick Monday to confirm Florida’s second hurricane in three weeks would be leaving a mark on Sarasota County.
Called a “historic” and “catastrophic” storm by officials, Hurricane Milton — who is on the cusp of a Category 4 storm with 125 mph winds — is set to slice straight through Sarasota.
Hurricane Milton is currently 700 miles away from the west coast, Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said, with a high possibly of developing to a category 4 or higher.
Ten to 12 feet of storm surge is predicted, but officials said residents should be aware of possible higher storm surges suffered from prior storms Helene and Debbie.
“If you are on a barrier island, or anywhere near the coastline, you will not survive this storm surge,” Tapfumaneyi said during a news conference Monday morning.
Winds are expected to fly through between 111 to 156 mph, with rain is also forecast to be as much as 15 inches.
For residents in Evacuation Zones A and B, Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis declared an order of evacuation, with a watch issued for Zone C residents.