MANATEE COUNTY, FL (September 26, 2024) – Manatee County Emergency Management and staff have made final preparations to face the brunt of Hurricane Helene. So too have citizens.
A total of 2,919 calls have come into 3-1-1 asking for help in finding evacuation levels, sandbag locations and in some cases, even getting a ride to the shelter. As the storm makes its effects felt across the county, residents and visitors are encouraged to reach out to 3-1-1 to report any damage or outages. A record total of more than 118,000 users logged onto mymanatee.org/storm on Wednesday alone.
A total of 680 tons of sand were bagged up for residents to help protect their homes and properties.
More than 50 animals in the care of Manatee County Animal Welfare (MCAW) found fosters to help them ride out Hurricane Helene safe and sound after MCAW sent out a plea for volunteers on social media.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the lake level at the Manatee Dam was at 36.26’. Crews are continuing to monitor inflow to the reservoir and will adjust any outflow as appropriate. The county is also monitoring the network of 737 lift stations in real time, to help pinpoint any potential outages and initiate appropriate response, including dispatching generators for emergency power. Other staff members are keeping close watch on river levels, roads … and the 200+ traffic signals across the county.
While some storm surge reports of up to three feet have been detected at county monitoring stations already, potential storm surge of 5-8 feet is expected along coastal parts of the county. Because of that threat, Manatee County Utilities Department has interrupted potable water service to the island cities of Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, and the Town of Longboat Key. This precautionary measure is being implemented to maintain the integrity of the water infrastructure.