Irma Precautions

Dear LSPOA members:

As Hurricane Irma approaches the Florida coast, and potentially may impact our barrier island, it's a good time to make sure we're prepared.  If there's no evacuation order, some of your neighbors may be sheltering in place.  Let's look out for one another and be sure to lend a helping hand if needed.  A reminder that phone numbers and emails for all LSPOA members are in the Lido Shores Directory.

Here's some common sense advice that bears repeating.  You'll want to make sure that any potential outside flying projectiles (Pool furniture, umbrellas, plant containers, etc.) are moved indoors.  Also, you may want to prune any tree limbs or branches close to windows.  

Many newer homes in Lido Shores have hurricane resistant glass.  But if not, shutters or plywood can protect exposed windows from flying debris.

Hurricane Irma

The latest weather service prediction models (Sept 6) have Irma heading up the center of Florida or veering toward the East coast, but that could change at any time.

Local institutions have already begun preparing for the storm’s effects. Ringling College of Art and Design has closed its campus and told students to evacuate. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota has closed its campus from Thursday, Sept. 7 through Monday, Sept. 11, as well as closed their State College of Florida Collegiate School. University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has also announced that classes are canceled between Sept. 7 and Sept. 11. New College has cancelled classes Sept. 7 through Sept. 11.

Manatee County declared a local state of emergency Wednesday morning, saying they needed to be prepared to evacuate as many as 100,00 residents beginning Friday morning, and Sarasota County declared a local state of emergency, but told residents that if the current track continues the area will likely only see 3.5 inches of rain. Both counties will hand out sandbags beginning Wednesday.

Sarasota and Manatee County school districts have both opted to close school on Friday because of Hurricane Irma. They have not yet announced how closures will be handled for next week.

The Sarasota-Manatee area is forecast to receive 3 inches of rain between Saturday and Tuesday, but if the track shifts west toward the Gulf Coast, that could bring increased rain to the area.

“We’re going to see these rains probably in the normal pattern we’ve been seeing lately, but it shouldn’t be anything that’ll be creating additional flooding concerns,” said Sarasota County’s emergency management director Ed McCrane at a press conference. “That’s good news, but things can change.”

Although meteorologists have urged Florida residents to follow the track, as it could change, Weatherunderground’s Jeff Masters says that is now looking less and less likely, since both models are in agreement.

“The odds of getting a west coast-tracking hurricane are somewhere around the 10 percent likelihood,” Masters said. “Miami is in its sights and Sarasota is not.”

Masters said the Sarasota-Manatee area will probably see tropical-storm-force winds beginning Saturday evening and could see two to three feet of storm s urge Sunday evening, when winds will begin coming from the west or northwest off the Gulf of Mexico.  

If you have any other safety advice or want to pass along some helpful information, please email to Bob Thill:  bthill@icloud.com or Bob Lifeso: lifeso1@aol.com and we'll post to the website at lido-shores.com.

Be prepared and be safe.

~BT