Hurricane Ian: Sarasotans Urged To Stay Off Roads; 191K Without Power

SARASOTA, FL — While residents of the city of Sarasota's mainland can return home, county officials are urging others to stay inside and off county roads Thursday as crews work to assess the damage left behind by Hurricane Ian.

"If you are exiting evacuation centers, you are literally taking your life into your own hands," Sarasota County Communications Director Jamie Carson said during a Thursday briefing. "Stay where you are."

Ian slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane packing 150 mph winds, tying it as the fifth-strongest hurricane, when measured by wind speed, ever to strike the United States, according to The Associated Press.

Ian’s center came ashore more than 100 miles south of St. Petersburg and Tampa, sparing the densely populated area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday. As of 8 a.m., the storm was 40 miles southeast of Orlando with top winds of 65 mph, down from its 155 mph on Wednesday. It was moving northeast at 8 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Authorities have confirmed at least one death, a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told The AP.

Crews are working to clear roads after Ian's powerful winds downed trees and power lines throughout Sarasota on Wednesday, according to Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche. While mainland residents can return home, John Ringling Causeway and Siesta bridges remain closed while the city works to restore water service.

"This will take at least several hours," Troche said in a Thursday update. "Please be patient."

More than 191,300 people — nearly 67 percent of residents and businesses — remain without power in Sarasota County, according to Florida Power & Light's outage tracker.

Teams are assessing the county's water and wastewater systems Thursday. Water remains shut off to Siesta and Casey keys, and it's likely other service areas will see disruptions, according to the county. Those who have water should limit use and expect lower-than-normal water pressure.

Once water is restored to county homes, a boil notice will be issued, Carson said.

Residents should also refrain from taking debris, recycling and other trash to their curbs while crews conduct post-storm cleanup.

"Hurricane Ian has passed, but now the real work begins and it's going to take all of us," Carson said.

For more information, Sarasota County residents can visit http://scgov.net or call 311.

County Closures

All Sarasota County offices are closed Thursday

All solid waste collection services scheduled for Thursday have been canceled for residents of unincorporated Sarasota County. Residents living in the municipalities should contact their local authorities for additional information.

The Central County Landfill will be closed to residents on Thursday.

Sarasota County Schools will be closed at least through Friday. All school-related information will be sent out and posted at www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane as it becomes available next week.

All reservations within Sarasota County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources parks scheduled between Tuesday and Friday have been canceled.

County transit buses will not be in service Thursday. Regular paratransit and OnDemand service will not operate Thursday.

All Sarasota County Libraries are closed due to Hurricane Ian. The libraries will remain closed until further notice.

See more closures online.