BRADENTON BEACH – Some Pines Trailer Park residents who withheld lot rental payments following last year’s hurricanes were served with demand for payment notices on March 17. The notices required either immediate payment of the full amounts of past due lot rental fees or vacating the premises within five days.
The notices, taped to the doors of mobile homes at the park and sent by certified mail, are from park ownership Pines Park Investors LLC and the Agent for Community, The Urban Group.
Demand for payment notices were taped to mobile homes at the Pines Trailer Park. – Leslie Lake | Sun
“You have failed to pay lot rental amount for the period through March 17, 2025 in the amount of ($…). The total amount due as of the date of this demand is ($…),” the notice states, with amounts due varying by unit.
“Demand is hereby made that you pay the total lot rental amount now due, or deliver possession of the premises to the undersigned within five days from the date of delivery of this notice (allowing five days from the postmark date, excluding Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays). If the total lot rental amount now due is not paid on or before April 1, 2025, your lease agreement is terminated and you must immediately vacate the premises.”
The letter states that if lot rental payment is not made and premises are not vacated, an eviction action will be taken, and the recipient may be liable for court costs and attorney’s fees. The letter also states that late charges and delinquency fees will also be due.
The letter closes with: “Please govern yourself accordingly.”
On Dec. 9, 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park homeowners received notice from the city that they could repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes with the proper permits. On Jan. 4, however, the homeowners received notification from the park’s ownership that the park was being closed: “As a direct result of the community-wide damage dealt by hurricanes Helene & Milton, coupled with non-payment of lot rent, Pines Trailer Park is no longer sustainable as a trailer park and must be closed, with an official park closure date of July 31, 2025.”
In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA), Pines Park Investors LLC offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million.
On Aug. 5, 2023, Pines Park Investors, LLC purchased the 2.78-acre waterfront mobile home property from The Jackson Partnership LLLP for $16.25 million.
Pines Trailer Park homeowners received an email in February outlining terms for abandonment of their mobile homes and possible extension of their tenancy to Jan. 31, 2026. Those terms include transferring the ownership of their mobile homes to Pines Park Investors LLC.
Resident defends nonpayment
Pines residents have contended that they withheld lot rent payments due to the disrepair of the park following the hurricanes and lack of amenities that are included in the lot fees.
“Nothing has been repaired. The clubhouse is a mess, there is no laundry facility or showers,” said one Pines resident who asked not to be named. “After the hurricanes we cleaned the park up ourselves and many people paid for their own dumpsters.”
The parking lot for nearly half of the Pines residents was converted to paid parking in December.
Developer Shawn Kaleta is the manager of Pines Park Investors LLC.
“If he (Kaleta) had come here even once after the hurricanes and shown some caring and taken care of the damage here, everyone would have been paying their rent,” the resident said.
That resident, who has lived at the park for more than 30 years, is packing up their belongings from the mobile home.
“I’m not a snowbird. I’m not a tourist,” the resident said. “This was my home.”
ANNA MARIA – City officials are pursuing a coastal resiliency grant to fund a study that identifies the best locations to install underground pumps and pipes to speed the removal of floodwaters from storms and high tides.
On Sept. 11, Mayor Dan Murphy and Anna Maria commissioners discussed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) grant application.
Murphy did not disclose the amount of the grant request or the anticipated study costs.
He said that flooding is a major concern shared by Anna Maria property owners and noted that heavy rains that fall in short timespans are now more common.
“When you get that much saturation, there’s not much you can do,” he said.
He said short of building a dike around the Island, there’s nothing that will stop Tampa Bay waters from rising over the seawalls and sand dunes that help protect the city.
“The object is to get rid of the water as quickly as possible once the tide goes down,” Murphy said.
Anna Maria’s stormwater and drainage system relies primarily on stone-covered, granite-filled underground vertical infiltration trenches that absorb and help transport floodwaters to the designated outfalls.
“Vertical filtration has exhausted itself. It works in some locations and it does not work in other locations. Now it’s down to pipes and pumps,” Murphy said.
Murphy mentioned several flood-prone locations – the entrance to the city, Archer Way, Allamanda Road, the Bayfront Park area, North Bay Boulevard, South Bay Boulevard, the City Pier area, Magnolia Avenue and the area behind Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café. He said a different approach is needed in those areas.
Murphy said the study won’t be cheap, but he’s optimistic the city will receive the state funds in the October timeframe. Using two engineering firms, Murphy estimates the city could have the study and the engineered pump and pipe installation plans completed in approximately 14 months, with the entire project taking approximately two years to complete.
He noted the maintenance of pumps and pipes located in a saltwater environment will be ongoing and expensive.
“Pumping is expensive, especially when it’s buried underground,” Murphy said.
He noted additional funds might be obtained from FEMA and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to help offset the maintenance costs.
Mayor Dan Murphy is spearheading the initial efforts to be continued by Anna Maria’s next mayor. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After 10 years in office, Murphy’s final term as mayor expires in November. He said the next mayor will have to spearhead the project and he advised the commission to maintain close relationships with the state officials and state legislators who can provide the needed funds.
“This is a very expensive proposition,” he said. “You need to be prepared to pony up and get the money to finish this if you want to solve this problem. The answer is getting the water out as quickly as possible and that’s what pumps and pipes will do.”
Commissioner Mark Short noted the study might also identify other drainage options to consider.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Much of Anna Maria Island experienced storm surge and king tide-related flooding, but the barrier island survived Hurricane Idalia mostly unscathed.
During the evening hours of Tuesday, Aug. 29 and the overnight and the early hours of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Idalia passed by Anna Maria Island as a category 3 storm, far enough to the west to spare the Island from the worst of its wind damage and storm surge.
On the Island, the hurricane produced significant flooding but minimal structural damage, electrical outages or disruptions of the water and sewer services provided by Manatee County.
The storm produced no Island fatalities or reported injuries.
The plywood used to protect Hurricane Hanks in Holmes Beach was previously used during Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Ian. – Joe Hendricks | SunA hurricane party broke out at Slim’s Place in Anna Maria Tuesday afternoon. – Charlie Trygg | Submitted
A drive around the Island early Tuesday evening before the hurricane arrived indicated most residents and visitors had already evacuated or retreated to the safety of their homes and almost all Island businesses were closed. A hurricane party was unfolding at Slim’s Place in Anna Maria and folks were also still enjoying libations at the Sports Lounge in Bradenton Beach.
Storm unfolds
While the storm unfolded Tuesday night, many Island residents shared information at the Island Ratz Unite Facebook page and elsewhere on the social media platform. The Tuesday evening posts included notice of a structural fire in Holmes Beach, limited power outages and rising floodwaters.
The Bradenton Police Department posted a Facebook notice stating the Palma Sola Causeway was closed due to high water flooding one of the three roadways that lead to the Island.
Bradenton Beach police officer Tom Ferrara cautioned people not to drive on Gulf Drive during the unfolding hurricane. – Tom Ferrara | Submitted
Early Wednesday morning, well before daylight, Bradenton Beach Police Officer Tom Ferrara posted this information: “Please stay off Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach. It’s impassable and very dangerous.”
Police officer Tom Ferrara witnessed the street flooding as it occurred in Bradenton Beach early Wednesday morning. – Tom Ferrara | Submitted
At 4:25 a.m., Lexi DeLeon posted the following information: “Thigh-high flooding through Bradenton Beach. Waves are crashing at beach entrances and flooding out to Gulf Drive. Both bridges are closed.”
The morning after
The Sun’s attempted trip to the Island at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning ended at the foot of the Cortez Bridge, where Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies blocked access to the Island while Bradenton Beach officials assessed the storm damage.
Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies restricted access to the Cortez Bridge Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Nearby in Cortez, Tide Tables restaurant co-owner Bobby Woodson and others watched the water rising over the docks and seawall and creeping up against the restaurant building. Woodson said the restaurant equipment was removed before the storm and even if some minimal interior flooding occurred, he expected to reopen on Friday.
Rising water from the Intracoastal Waterway made its way toward the Tide Tables restaurant in Cortez. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The rising waters also spilled over into the adjacent Cortez Park mobile home park, and all the side streets south of Cortez Road in Cortez were flooded.
The Cortez Park mobile home park was partially flooded Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | SunThe side streets along Cortez Road were flooded. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A subsequent trip to Manatee Avenue ended east of the causeway, where officers from the Bradenton Police Department blocked access to the roadway leading to the center of the Island. An officer there said return access to the Island was not expected until 2 p.m. or later, after the mid-day king tide subsided.
Officers from the Bradenton Police Department restricted Island access via Manatee Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After an afternoon conference call with the three Island mayors and others, the Holmes Beach Police Department posted on its Facebook page that return access to the city would begin at 4:30 p.m., with no re-entry tags or proof of residency or business interests required.
Before the bridge reopenings were announced, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “We still have some flooding. The water is receding and Gulf Drive receded much quicker than Marina Drive. We’re hoping that within the next couple hours, it recedes enough so you can discern the difference between the roadway and the ditches.
“The city did well but I think we’re going to see some water damage because the roadways were inundated with high water. I think we had a surge of at least 6 to 7 feet,” he added.
Regarding the fire, he said, “A power line went down on a shed. The shed caught fire, then the fence next to the house caught fire and the house next to the fence caught fire. After FPL shut off the power grid, they (the fire department) quickly knocked down the fire,” Tokajer said.
Tokajer said power outages and downed power lines were minimal and he wasn’t aware of any fallen trees.
When contacted before the Cortez Bridge reopened, Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby said, “We had a lot of water and it just wasn’t safe for people to come back yet. The main road is open and the water’s gone down on the secondary roads that are passable now.
“Every street in Bradenton Beach was under a minimum of 2 feet of water, and closer to 3 or 4 feet in some places, including the avenues at the north end of the city. The Gulf flowed over to the bay and that has not happened since the ‘Storm of the Century’ in 1993. It pushed a lot of sand onto Gulf Drive and we needed extra time for Public Works to get the sand off the road to make it passable, which they accomplished in record time. Kudos to them,” Cosby said.
“Bridge Street itself flooded and we had some water intrusion, but I won’t know where until the owners get back. The pier has some damage and we’ve got some boats tied to the pier. Some of the new finger docks may have separated from their connections to the floating dock and we’ll do a full assessment tomorrow,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the Longboat Pass Bridge that leads to Longboat Key at the south end of the city would remain closed until further notice Wednesday evening.
When contacted Wednesday afternoon, before the bridges reopened, Sgt. Brett Getman said, “We’re still flooded down here. The water on North Bay is pretty deep. When the bridges open, we’ll be restricting access to residents and business owners. The city fared well. We didn’t lose electricity and there’s not a lot of wind damage. It’s mostly flood damage.”
Back on the Island
The Sun was part of the first wave of people returning to the Island on Wednesday afternoon via the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue. Gulf Drive was dry but motorists encountered several inches of standing water on Marina Drive near Keyes Marina, the Island Branch Library and Holmes Beach City Hall. Gulf Drive was free of any significant standing water, but some of the residential streets between Marina Drive and Gulf Drive remained flooded.
Returning and departing motorists encountered remaining floodwater along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach. – Joe Hendricks | SunStanding water remained near the 61st Street/Holmes Boulevard intersection late Wednesday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At the entrance to Anna Maria, near CrossPointe Fellowship, sheriff’s deputies asked motorists to provide reentry tags, proof of residency or proof of business intentions and those unable to provide that information were turned away.
Sheriff’s deputies restricted vehicular access to Anna Maria after the Island bridges reopened. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Nearby, a crew from Manatee County worked to unplug a plugged sewer line.
A portion of Magnolia Avenue, near Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café, was flooded and a safety barricade remained in place. A portion of North Shore Drive near Linda Lane was flooded and remained impassable for some motorists. Around the corner, Jacaranda Road was flooded and remained impassable for some motorists.
Magnolia Avenue, near Ginny’s and Jane E’s, was one of several Anna Maria streets that flooded. – Joe Hendricks | SunNorth Shore Drive in Anna Maria was flooded near Linda Lane. – Joe Hendricks | SunThe flooding on North Shore Drive extended to nearby residential structures. – Joe Hendricks | SunJacaranda Road in Anna Maria experienced significant flooding. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Near the City Pier, a barricade blocked one lane of North Bay Boulevard atop the humpback bridge and the roadway north of the bridge was severely flooded, as were several adjacent side streets.
North Bay Boulevard remained submerged as of Wednesday evening. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
By early Wednesday evening, much of the flooding in Bradenton Beach had subsided. The most visible storm damage was seen at the T-end of the Bradenton Beach Pier. A cabin cruiser anchored south of the pier broke loose during the storm, crashed into the pier and shattered a portion of the wooden pier railing.
The railing at the T-end of the Bradenton Beach pier was damaged by a careening cabin cruiser that broke free during the storm. – Joe Hendricks | SunFive live-aboard boats were tied to the Bradenton Beach Pier and the floating dock Wednesday evening. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Another cabin cruiser that broke free during the storm was tied up to the pier with its motor running, joined by another large sailboat. Two more sailboats that broke free were tied to the new finger docks connected to the floating public dock.
On Bridge Street, the Drift In bar was the first Island business to reopen that evening.
Final thoughts
When contacted Thursday afternoon, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said the storm surge and high tide reached a maximum height of approximately 4 feet in some locations.
South Bay Boulevard, near The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria, was completely underwater on Wednesday. – MCSO | SubmittedSome Anna Maria beaches experienced significant hurricane-related erosion. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The biggest issue we’ve had to deal with in the city has been flooding; and secondly, debris on the streets, including sand. We lost nearly 50 yards of beach in some locations, maybe more in others. It’ll take us a while to get the city back to normal. We’ve had crews and contractors out pumping and clearing the streets. County Commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Jason Bearden toured our city this morning and promised us whatever help we need to bring our city back to a state of normalcy,” Murphy said.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Island escaped serious property damage from Tropical Storm Eta, however, a life was lost.
On Wednesday evening, longtime local insurance agent Mark Mixon was electrocuted at a home he was working on at 211 Bay Drive N.
According to Bradenton Beach police, Mixon was killed while standing in about 3 inches of water in a storage room with a washer and dryer. A friend tried to pull him out of the storage area, but felt electricity surging through the water and called 911. By the time FPL turned off power to the area, emergency workers declared Mixon dead.
Several sailboats sank near the Bridge Street Pier and floating day dock. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Elsewhere in Bradenton Beach, the storm also sank six sailboats. Three sailboats and a dinghy sank alongside the floating day dock next to the Bridge Street Pier. Joined by the dinghy that became lodged in one of the dock’s roller brackets, two sailboats sank at the east end of the floating dock. One of those sailboats lies partially underneath the Bridge Street Pier and small area of the pier’s TREX composite decking was damaged and now requires repairs or replacement.
The floating dock survived mostly unscathed, with one underside float coming loose and some minor exterior damage to the dock’s eastern edge.
One sailboat sank next to the new police department boat lift at the west end of the floating dock. The police boat and the boat lift also came through the storm unscathed.
The floating dock and the east end of the Bridge Street Pier, including the T-end, were closed Thursday morning and remain closed until further notice.
A large catamaran sank in the waters just south of the pier. Another large sailboat came to rest near the city-owned dinghy dock near the Bridge Tender Inn. The last section of the dinghy dock is also missing.
A large catamaran sank near the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Another sailboat sank alongside and below the Cortez Bridge, near the Bradenton Beach Marina. Marina President Mike Bazzy said it was not known whether that vessel came from the Bradenton Beach or Cortez side of the Intracoastal Waterway. Bazzy said all the boats docked at the marina survived the storm with little to no damage.
This sailboat sank below and beside the Cortez Bridge. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At 7 a.m. Thursday morning, Mayor John Chappie and Lt. John Cosby were already evaluating the sunken vessels and the damage to the pier.
“The floating dock held up well. The boat lift held up well too,” Cosby said.
The new police department boat lift and the police boat came through the storm unscathed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When asked about removing the sunken vessels, Cosby said, “We’re going to have to get these out quickly and we’ll go from there. We’ll have to see what funding becomes available. The boats are privately owned, so that’s some sticky ground with FEMA – they don’t like to take care of private property.”
The city typically relies on West Coast Inland Navigation District grants for the removal of derelict, abandoned and sunken vessels in the unmanaged waters south of the pier. The city may have to absorb the initial cost to remove the sunken boats from the floating dock and dinghy dock and hope to recover those costs later.
The Bridge Street Pier was damaged when struck by a sailboat that broke loose from the nearby anchorage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Cosby also mentioned two structure fires that he said did not appear to be serious.
One of the new palm trees installed in the roundabout at the east end of Bridge Street lay toppled and blocked a portion of the roundabout, but the tree was righted and standing upright again by mid-day. Cosby said he wasn’t aware of any other downed trees or downed power lines elsewhere in the city.
Some of the mobile homes in the nearby Pines Trailer Park experienced flooding and some Bradenton Beach residents who live elsewhere in the city noted on Facebook that they experienced flooding too.
Holmes Beach
As the morning unfolded, a steady stream of vehicles proceeded through the standing water along Marina Drive, near the Island Branch Library and Holmes Beach City Hall. The water there appeared to be at least a foot deep, if not higher.
Vehicles traveling along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach had to travel through standing water. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When contacted at 9:40 a.m., Police Chief Bill Tokajer provided an assessment of the storm damage in Holmes Beach.
“We had some serious flooding in some areas. We had more rain than we have seen in quite some time. In some areas, the water was as deep as I’ve seen since I’ve been here. It was really deep on Marina Drive in front of the police department. It was deep further down on Marina Drive and on Gulf Drive toward Haley’s Motel,” Tokajer said.
“It was deep going around the bend by the beach. Sixth Avenue was bad, and Avenue B and C had some flooding. I think a lot of it was because of the high tides combined with all the rain. A lot of docks and marinas had water over the edge too,” Tokajer said.
There was significant flooding along Marina Drive, near Keyes Marina in Holmes Beach – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We didn’t have any injuries. We had quite a few people who got stuck or drove into a ditch. And we had one tree down off of 51st and Fifth that was blocking the road,” Tokajer said.
Throughout the morning and early afternoon, Gulf Drive provided a much drier route through the city than Marina Drive.
Anna Maria
Although he was still assessing the damage Thursday morning, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy believed the city fared well and sustained little damage. He said there had been some power lines that went down on the north end of the city and there was still street flooding in the general vicinity of Bean Point.
Residents placed this no wake sign along North Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A drive through the city late Thursday morning revealed North Shore Drive covered with standing water near Bean Point. There was a substantial amount of standing water covering North Bay Boulevard between Jacaranda Road and Alamanda Road.
Significant street flooding was also present at and around the intersection of Gladiolus Street and Poinsettia Road.
This home at the corner of Gladiolus Street and Poinsettia Road in Anna Maria experienced heavy flooding. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy said the new City Pier did not appear to suffer any damage during the storm.
Manatee County
At 10 a.m. Thursday morning, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Nick Azzara conducted a virtual tropical storm update and press conference via Zoom videoconferencing. Azzara was joined by several county staff members who provided information specific to their departments.
County staff reported no significant damage throughout the county and said most of the damage was limited to flooding, fallen trees and tree limbs, power outages and boats that sank or ran into something – including one boat that collided with a bridge on the Manatee River and now requires removal.
Emergency Management Chief Steve Litschauer said 30 people took shelter at Manatee High School and left the shelter Thursday morning. He said no one took shelter at Mills Elementary School in Palmetto, so that shelter was closed at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Azzara said wind gusts of up to 60 mph were reported in Manatee County and approximately 8 inches of rain fell in the most heavily rained upon areas that included the coastal regions.
Litschauer said slightly fewer than 3,000 people lost power during the storm and as of 10:12 a.m. Thursday morning, 1,136 power outages remained throughout the county.
Azzara said the county beaches on Anna Maria Island would remain closed for the day and reopen Friday morning. He said the same about the Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach.
The Manatee County School District decided later in the day that all public schools would reopen Friday morning for in-person learning, as opposed to being limited to virtual learning only as originally planned before the storm arrived.
Updated Oct. 19, 2019 at 8:35 p.m. – ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor caused high surf, rip currents, wind gusts and flooding today on Anna Maria Island as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Florida’s Panhandle.
While Polk County to the north experienced a highly-destructive tornado touchdown Friday night, while Nestor was still a tropical storm, Manatee County escaped forecast tornadoes. By Saturday afternoon, couples were strolling the windy beach, walking as far as they could before being stopped by newly-exposed rocks and seawalls. Rip currents persisted all day, moving anchored buoys to new locations, and parents held tight to their children’s hands as they ventured into rushing ankle-deep water in the Gulf.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory and coastal flood advisory in effect until Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8 a.m.
A tour of the Island late this morning and early this afternoon revealed a little flooding in Bradenton Beach and heavy flooding in areas of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria, making the trip to Bayfest a bit slower for festival-goers. The outdoor Pine Avenue event was moved indoors to The Center of Anna Maria Island due to the inclement weather.
Beach flooding likely inundated the three remaining loggerhead sea turtle nests waiting to hatch on the Island; Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers will not be able to determine the damage until the weather improves. The nesting season is over, and the hatching season, which may have ended early this weekend, was due to end on Oct. 31.
Some of the most severe flooding occurred along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach and along North Shore Drive in Anna Maria.
Holmes Beach
At 11 a.m. in Holmes Beach, cars were slowing as they passed through high standing water in front of the Island Branch Library and city hall. There was also a lot of standing water behind the library at the south end of Flotilla Drive.
Water behind the Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach this morning was problematic. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The intersection of Marina Drive and 58th Street, next to the Ugly Grouper, was also flooded, as were the northeast ends of 66th and 67th Streets.
Anna Maria
In Anna Maria, North Shore Drive was heavily flooded from the western end of Bayfront Park to the intersection of Jacaranda Road, but the intersection of North Shore Drive and Alamanda Road was mostly dry and provided full access to the Rod & Reel Pier, which was busy.
Several homes along North Shore Drive had standing water in their yards and near their front doors.
High water from Nestor endangers a home on North Shore Drive in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Significant flooding occurred at the intersection of Alamanda Road and Gladiolus Street, on portions of Poinsettia Road and on portions of Crescent Drive. There was also some flooding in the Bayfront Park parking lot and the City Pier parking lot.
Bradenton Beach
A trip through Bradenton Beach at approximately 1:30 p.m. revealed minimal standing water along Avenues B and C, although longtime resident Jim Hassett said there was more standing water earlier in the day.
Gulf Drive was mostly dry, except for the flood-prone area along the road by Cortez Beach.
Twin Piers in Bradenton Beach attracted surfers and boogie boarders today. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The high surf near the Cortez Beach groins attracted many surfers and boogie boarders who entered the rough seas in hopes of catching a few good waves.
Some of the parking areas at the south end of Coquina Beach were dry, some were covered with shallow standing water and there was significant flooding in one area, across the street from the Manatee County Marine Rescue building.
Pounding surf generated by Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor exposed long-covered rocks in Bradenton Beach. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Nestor brought some water to the site of the Farmer's Market in Anna Maria near the City Pier. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor caused some beach erosion on Anna Maria Island. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Bayfront Park in Anna Maria was affected by the storm. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
High water in the parking lot at Ginny and Jane E's in Anna Maria. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor took so much sand off the beach Friday night and Saturday, the seawall at Seaside Inn Beach Resort in Bradenton Beach was exposed. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Water was rising this morning at The Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor pushed the Gulf of Mexico right up to the sea oats on Anna Maria Island last night. Sea oats are federally protected because they deter beach erosion. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Parts of Marina Drive on Anna Maria Island were under a few inches of water. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
The Coquina Beach parking lot was flooded in areas today due to Nestor. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
BRADENTON BEACH – Anna Maria Island experienced unexpected flooding Friday, Saturday and Sunday due to the natural phenomenon known as the king tide.
King tides typically happen twice a year due to the alignment of the sun and moon and generally produce the year’s greatest tidal ranges.
Some of the heaviest flooding in Bradenton Beach occurred on the north end of the city, between Gulf Drive and Sarasota Bay.
Speaking by cell phone early Friday afternoon, Bradenton Beach Public Works Director Tome Woodard said, “We’re blocking the road off due to the excessive flooding. It’s as high as I’ve ever seen it.”
Woodard said the tide started rising Friday around 10:30 a.m., peaked around 1 p.m. and then started to slowly recede.
24th Street North in Bradenton Beach was underwater Friday afternoon. – Marc Sillars | Submitted
“I’m on 26th Street right now. It’s not raining and it’s beautiful out here, but the road is flooded almost to Gulf Drive. It’s to the back of Sharky’s,” he said.
In an e-mail sent to Bradenton Beach Commissioners that afternoon, Woodard wrote, “Please be aware that this event could happen again over the next couple days, and remember it is saltwater you are driving through.”
Saltwater is even more damaging to vehicles than fresh water, especially the motors.
Woodard said WaStop check valves will soon be installed in drainage pipes that flow outward into the bay and that will help minimize future tidal flooding. The one-way valves already used in Anna Maria help prevent tidal waters from backflowing inland and creating standing water.
Residents impacted
Part-time Bradenton Beach residents Betsy and Marc Sillars own a home at the corner of 24th Street North and Avenue A.
“We knew there was a full moon, but there was nothing last night. It caught us by surprise. It’s up to our front door. It goes all the way to Avenue B and down Canasta. It’s crazy,” Betsy Sillars said Friday afternoon.
When asked if water was seeping into their ground-level home, she said, “Not yet, but we moved the furniture. It’s a helpless feeling. There’s nothing you can do. Tom put signs up and Lt. Cosby said the road should be closed for the time being so drivers can’t go through and make a wake. We appreciate that.”
On Saturday afternoon, Marc Sillars sent an e-mail that included a picture of a mail truck navigating their flooded street.
“It’s worse today than it was yesterday,” he wrote.
Saturday’s flooding resulted in some water getting into the Sillars’ home.
Vice Mayor John Chappie said the flooding on the south side of town extended 50 to 75 feet from the bay toward Gulf Drive, with significant flooding on Bay Drive South.
“I don’t think I’ve seen the tides that high in decades. It was extreme,” Chappie said, noting that he also encountered flooded roads in Holmes Beach.
Holmes Beach flooding
“The water at the public beach came up to where the swing sets are and it was pretty deep,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said.
“The intersections of Gulf and Marina, all along Marina Drive where it usually gets flooded, were very deep. And the canals along Marina Drive were all flooded over the roads. There were quite a few places where we had to put up slow/no wake signs in the streets,” he added.
Anna Maria flooding
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said there was flooding on Pine Avenue and other interior streets throughout the city on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“However, the good news was the performance of our new WaStop valves,” he said. “The areas where they were installed along the upper portions of North Shore and South Bay remained dry. The remainder of these valves are scheduled to go in over the next six to seven months. At that point, every outlet into Lake LaVista or the bays will have a valve installed.”
