With Hurricane Idalia heading their way, residents of Florida's Sarasota and Manatee counties are being urged to get out of the way of the storm's path as quickly as possible.
The National Hurricane Center says the eye of the storm, which is expected to make landfall early Friday as a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to hit the area as a Category 2 or 3 storm on Friday night, with winds reaching up to 120mph, the AP reports.
Florida's emergency management department has warned residents to evacuate ahead of the storm, which is expected to hit as a Category 2 or 3 storm, with winds reaching up to 130mph.
Residents in the storm-prone areas are also being urged to stock up on food, water, and sandbags.
The Humane Society of Sarasota County has opened an outdoor shelter for dogs to ride out the storm, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.
"Thankfully we just had a successful adoption weekend during NBCUniversal's Clear the Shelter event, so we had the space available to say yes to this request," a rep says.
"Staff will ride out the storm at the shelter as well," she adds.
"Please follow their social media pages for updates throughout the week on any needs that may arise."
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
Caroline Diehl is a serial social entrepreneur in the impact media space. She is Executive Chair and Founder of the UK’s only charitable and co-operatively owned national broadcast television channel Together TV, the leading broadcaster for social change runs a national TV channel in the UK and digital platform which helps people find inspiration to do good in their lives and communities.