Sarasota Memorial continually monitors and prepares for weather emergencies. The hospital's Hurricane Response Plan provides comprehensive information for an effective and safe response to hurricanes.

If severe tropical weather may pose a threat to the region, SMH employees should call the Employee Hurricane and Emergency Hotline, 941-917-8799 (Sarasota campus) or 941-261-8799 (Venice Campus) for updates before, during and after a storm. Once a Hurricane Watch is instituted for Sarasota County, information regarding department and facility closures and other updates will be included in recorded messages on the hotline and in emails to staff.

Updates regarding hospital and outpatient services will be shared with the community via this website (smh.com/hurricane), Sarasota Memorial social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), local news media and other external communications channels.

SMH Employees

Employees are encouraged to review the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) on the internal PULSE site, and to discuss their roles and responsibilities with their supervisor.

Staff Hurricane Teams: Members of Hurricane Teams: Response (A) Team, Recovery (B) Team and Pre-Team members should familiarize themselves with their team roles and responsibilities within the Hurricane Response Plan, FAQ and Hurricane Handbook (see links on this page).

Medically Dependent Residents Encouraged to Register with Sarasota County

Sarasota Memorial is an acute-care hospital and is not a community hurricane shelter.

Community members with qualifying medical needs who may need to evacuate their home during a disaster are encouraged to register in advance as a medically dependent person (MDP) with Sarasota County's Medical Needs Program, click here. Sarasota County arranges transportation and shelter assignments for registered MDPs. If local evacuations are necessary, Sarasota County may assign certain pre-registered MDPs who require a hospital setting to SMH, based on available capacity. Sarasota County has other assigned shelter locations for people with medical needs who do not require a hospital setting.

For more information about Sarasota County's Medical Needs Program, call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000 or click here. MDPs are advised to register with the county at the start of hurricane season.

For hurricane preparedness tips, resources and information for community members, click here.