The county is opening three general population shelters beginning at 2 p.m. Friday:
- Atwater Elementary School, 4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port
- Woodland Middle School (pet friendly), 2700 Panacea Blvd., North Port
- Booker High School, 3201 N Orange Ave., Sarasota
In coordination with the state of Florida, the county has also already opened the following shelter to host evacuees from south Florida:
- Brookside Middle School (pet friendly), 3636 S. Shade Ave., Sarasota
In addition, two shelters will open for those residents with special needs who have registered with the county.
Additional information about shelter locations, evacuation zones and Hurricane Irma can be found at www.scgov.net or by calling the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000.