Sarasota County has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian, which frees up public funds, as well as applications for state and federal financial assistance.

Recent projections show that Ian will most likely attain Category 4 status just south of the Sarasota metro area. The storm will also slow down as it approaches the region, so its period of heavy impact will be extended.

Sarasota County has not yet issued evacuations, but officials are expecting to announce an evacuation alert for those in Level A on Tuesday morning.

Manatee County has also declared a local state of emergency. The county's Emergency Operations Center—which has been activated at level two since Friday—will continue to add staff and resources in preparation for a higher-level activation as the storm progresses. As in Sarasota, declaring a local state of emergency will allow Manatee County staff to perform any emergency actions needed during the storm.

“Our crews are getting ready to help support our residents and visitors through this storm’s impact,” says Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes. “Now is not the time to panic. But it is time to finalize your storm preparations.”