SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Venice Beach has reopened following repairs and remediation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, officials announced Friday.
As of Nov. 1, restrooms, concessions and the parking lot are now all available at the Sarasota County public beach. Lifeguards are also back on duty.
Additionally, all city parks are now reopened to the public, including Centennial West Blalock and Heritage.
The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota is conducting regular water quality testing. Officials warned families to use caution as there may still be large debris piles near the beaches and parks.
Both hurricanes hit the area hard, causing several beaches to close. But the county has been slowly welcoming visitors back, with multiple reopenings over the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, in Manatee County, officials reopened Anna Maria Island after it was devastated by Hurricane Helene's storm surge. It was the first public beach in the area to reopen since the storms.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
