HURRICANE HELENE Latest: U.S. 41 southbound bridge closed; Flooding inundating roads near canals

PORT CHARLOTTE – Charlotte County officials closed the southbound U.S. 41 bridge over the Peace River until further notice due to road flooding in Punta Gorda, according to a news release from Charlotte County on Thursday night.

The northbound bridge was closed earlier Thursday, and remained closed Thursday night.

Drivers are asked to take the Interstate 75 bridges as alternate ways to cross the Peace River.

Storm surge, high tides and rainfall from Hurricane Helene have caused widespread localized flooding, particularly in coastal areas including Punta Gorda, Charlotte Harbor, El Jobean and Englewood.

These conditions will continue to worsen Thursday night.

Residents and visitors who don't need to travel are asked to remain at home and not drive on roadways.

"Charlotte County reminds motorists to remain alert at all times and to exercise caution when traveling. Travelers are encouraged not to drive through roadways that are underwater and find an alternate route. Remember, turn around, don’t drown," the notice states.

More than a dozen roads are closed in Punta Gorda due to flooding, and more in other areas of the county.

The view a list of road closures, visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/storm, or see below.

NORTH PORT OFFICES, FACILITIES TO REOPEN FRIDAY

NORTH PORT – City Hall and other City offices will reopen as scheduled Friday. City staff are resuming normal operations following the response to Hurricane Helene, according to an email from the city Thursday night.

Several facilities will remain closed, including the George Mullen Activity Center, Morgan Family Community Center, Warm Mineral Springs Park, North Port Aquatic Center and all other City parks, park amenities and athletic fields, which will need to be assessed before they can safely reopen.

The Sarasota County Tax Collector and Property Appraiser offices located in North Port City Hall will be closed Friday. They are expected to reopen Monday.

Status updates should be available by Friday afternoon and can be found online at NorthPortFL.gov/ParksAndRecreation.

TRASH COLLECTION RESTARTS IN NORTH PORT

Garbage customers whose regular collection day is Thursday will have their trash and recycling picked up Friday. Friday collections will be delayed until Saturday.

Schedules are subject to change based on the status of the Sarasota County Landfill.

For questions about trash and recycling pickup, call Public Works Customer Service at 941-240-8050.

For the latest information on Hurricane Helene recovery, visit NorthPortFL.gov/Alerts.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY TRASH COLLECTION RESUMES FRIDAY

Residential curbside collection of garbage, recyclables, and yard trimmings will resume on Friday. Collection will be one day later, with Thursday customers serviced on Friday and Friday customers will be serviced on Saturday.

Charlotte County mini-transfer facilities and the landfill will be open Friday.

For storm information, call the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center at 941-833-4000. Follow Charlotte County Emergency Management for important emergency information at www.charlottecountyfl.gov/em, www.facebook.com/oemcharlottecounty, and www.x.com/ccoem.

ROAD CLOSURES IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY

The following roads were closed in Charlotte County as of 8 p.m. Wednesday:

• U.S. 41 Northbound Bridge Closed

• Tom Adams Bridge Closed to Boat Traffic

• Beach Road Closed from S.R. 776 to County Line

• Harbor Boulevard from Port Charlotte Beach Park to Colleen St.

• Cheshire St.

• Drance St.

• Port Charlotte Blvd. between U.S. 41 and Edgewater Dr.

• Edgewater Dr. between U.S. 41 and Harbor Blvd.

• Boca Grande Causeway

Punta Gorda:

• Berry St. between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Ave.

• Brown St. between E. Marion Ave. and E. Olympia Ave.

• Chasteen St. between W. Olympia and W. Retta Esplanade

• Chasteen St., Berry St., Dolly St., Gill St., Sullivan St. (between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Ave.)

• Dolly St. between W. Marion Ave. and W. Retta Esplanade

• Dupont St. and E. Marion Ave.

• E. Marion Ave. and Cooper St.

• Gill St. between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Ave.

• McGregor St. and W. Olympia Ave.

• MLK between E. Marion and E. Olympia

• Nesbit St. (between E. Olympia and E. Marion, and E. Marion Ave. and Tamiami Trail)

• Nesbit St. between E. Marion Ave. and Tamiami Trail

• Nesbit St. between E. Olympia and E. Marion

• Rio Villa Dr. at Almar Dr

• Rio Villa Dr. at Vasco St

• Sullivan St. between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Ave.

• Taylor St. between W. Retta Esplanade and W. Marion Ave.

• W. Marion Ave. between Dolly St. and Maud St.

• W. Marion Ave. between Tamiami Trail and Shreve St.

• Wood St. between E. Marion Ave. and E. Olympia Ave.

FLOODED AREAS TO AVOID

Flooded areas in Charlotte County as of 8 p.m. Thursday:

Charlotte ParkSolona Harbour HeightsCharlotte Harbor (North of US41)Charlotte Harbor (South of US41)El Jobean (North of SR776)El Jobean (South of SR776)

Sarasota County: 4,000 calls made during day

Sarasota County 311 Center Manager Tim Mushi said the county handled 4,000 calls since Hurricane Helene.

Sarasota County offices are closed for Friday "so that the county can begin recovery efforts, and employees can fulfill their emergency roles across the county supporting the community," it stated.