Sarasota declares state of emergency | News

Sarasota County, Florida - Sarasota County Commissioners declare a local state of emergency and activate its Emergency Operations Center at a level 2 after Tropical Storm Debby leaves its mark on the area.

Several boats in Sarasota Bay are beached on Island Park's shoreline after they high winds cause their moorings to break.

"We're still not done yet. We will get high wind gusts and feel effects from the surge," says Ed McCrane, Sarasota's Emergency Management Chief.

Coastal flooding strands some beach residents. Instead of shoveling snow, this Ohio visitor is shoveling sand. "Everyone keeps getting stuck in the sand... the road is turning into the beach," says Jennifer Dickson.

More than 30 mobile homeowners in North Port's La Casa Mobile Home Park are cleaning up from high wind damage that tore roof tops and car ports. Strong gusts twist the metal on a billboard crashing it into a tile businesses' roof top in Nokomis.

Trucks haul sewage off Siesta Key after waste water treatment plants reach capacity. Utility officials ask residents to ease up on in-door water use.

McCrane says, "The damage from this storm won't go away. It seems more difficult than a storm that moves through quickly."

"This is rain... rain and wind did this," says Cheryl Prevatte. Her home is flooded after the Myakka River overflows its bank.

Ten inches of rain in two days, emergency officials say it's enough to cause the Myakka River to overflow flooding neighborhoods.

Prevatte says, "It hasn't gone down. It came up and never went down."

So just after eight months of renting, Prevatte is moving out. She's looking for a new home to rent. She says, "Anywhere dry!"

County officials say it will take several days to estimate the cost of the damage left behind by Tropical Storm Debby. 

More Tropical Storm Debby Coverage:

• Tropical Storm Debby latest forecast
• Photos: Heavy wind, rain cause damage in Tampa Bay
• More photos: Tropical Storm Debby
• More photos: Tropical Storm Debby damage continues
• Photos: Tornadoes spawned by Tropical Storm Debby
• Viewer-submitted storm videos
• Mother manatee found dead on Bayshore Blvd. 
• Tornado touches down in Pass-a-Grille
• Debby downs trees, roof
• Tree collapses in mobile home park
• Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed
• LIVE VIDEO: Clearwater Beach Cam
• Wicked waves pound Clearwater Beach
• Drivers stranded by flooding
• Humane Society deals with effects of Tropical Storm Debby
• Pasco County urges residents to stay out of the water
• Summer schools, programs to resume normal scheduling
• Mother dies in tornado, clutching child
• Shark swimming down Bayshore is a hoax