ORLANDO – Anna Maria Island didn’t feel the effects of Hurricane Dorian, but Manatee County’s first responders didn’t take it easy as the storm swept by Florida’s east coast. First responders from around the state gathered supplies and equipment and journeyed to Orlando to gather at a staging area and await deployment to any areas hit hard by the storm.
Manatee County sent 28 first responder volunteers along with fire engines and other equipment to Orlando to await deployment. Participating departments include East Manatee Fire Rescue, North River Fire Rescue, Southern Manatee Fire Rescue, Bradenton Fire Rescue, Longboat Key Fire Rescue, Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue and West Manatee Fire Rescue which sent fire engine 131 along with firefighters Clayton Lease and Paul Hopkins.
Strike teams gathered for staging Sept. 3. With Florida being spared the hurricane’s wrath, the strike teams were not needed for hurricane relief efforts in Florida, and Manatee County’s team returned to the west coast Sept. 5.
In the event of a natural disaster, strike teams are formed with first responder volunteers to go into badly affected areas of the state and provide relief by helping in recovery efforts, assisting local first responders with rescue and fire response efforts and distributing supplies to local residents, among other assistance efforts.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County remains clear of Hurricane Dorian’s “cone of uncertainty” today, with lighter-than-normal Labor Day beach crowds, in part due to holiday plans that changed days ago when the forecast was less certain.
County emergency management officials de-escalated the Emergency Operations Center Saturday as forecasters predicted the category 4 storm would stay east of Florida and turn north.
Tonight’s sunset shows no sign of Hurricane Dorian on Anna Maria Island.
But with change being the only thing certain about tropical weather, officials advise residents to continue to keep watch on the storm, which clocked 145-mph winds today after stalling over the Bahamas with up to 185-mph winds.
“It’s been an unpredictable storm and it could take a left turn just like it took a right turn, so our residents should continue to monitor the forecast by watching reliable news sources and following the county’s social media accounts,”Emergency Chief Steve Litschauer said.
A 10% chance of tropical-storm-force winds remains in Manatee County through Saturday, Sept. 7, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.
Officials canceled their plan to open shelters for those living in mobile and manufactured homes and RVs today, and announced that school and government operations are scheduled to continue normally on Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday. No changes are expected to the county’s holiday waste collection schedule.
Expectations of Dorian’s winds and rains curtailed Labor Day weekend crowds today on Anna Maria Island, where beachgoers experienced the typical summer mix of sun and rain.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Hurricane Dorian’s threat has decreased, but the city of Anna Maria is prepared and applying lessons learned from Hurricane Irma in 2017.
As a precautionary measure, the city commission on Thursday, Aug. 29 adopted a resolution declaring a local state of emergency due to the approaching storm.
When presenting the resolution by telephone, City Attorney Becky Vose said, “I suggested to the mayor that we adopt this resolution. If we’re lucky and dodge the bullet then we won’t need to use it, but we will need it if the storm hits the Island.”
Declaring a state of local emergency provides the mayor with temporary additional powers to address storm-related situations that may arise. Anna Maria’s declaration is in effect for seven days and can be extended if needed.
The resolution authorizes the mayor – or the commission chair in the mayor’s absence – to take all actions necessary and appropriate to protect human life and property within the lawful authority of federal, state, county and city laws.
“We’re so much more prepared than we were for Hurricane Irma and if something else comes our way during this hurricane season we’ll be ready.”
– Dan Murphy, Anna Maria Mayor
The resolution empowers the mayor to establish curfews, prohibit pedestrian and vehicular movement, prohibit the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, limit the hours of operation for business establishments and take other actions deemed necessary.
Bridge concerns
During Thursday’s meeting, Murphy expressed concerns about the bridge openings that occurred in 2017 after Hurricane Irma passed.
Because an evacuation order was issued, city and county law enforcement officials initially limited bridge access to those trying to return to the Island. At one point that day, the Cortez Bridge opened to the public while access through the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach remained controlled.
The Cortez Bridge remained closed immediately after Hurricane Irma passed in 2017 but opened to the public later that day. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy said this resulted in people coming into Anna Maria when there were still trees and wires down.
“It was a dangerous situation. I went to put up a road barricade to keep people from coming in and the Sheriff’s Office would not allow me because they said these are county roads. These are not county roads; these are the city of Anna Maria’s roads. The city got the roads from Manatee County many years ago,” Murphy said.
“I would ask Lt. Johnson to look through that resolution at what the mayor can do in case of an emergency,” Murphy said in reference to Lt. Brad Johnson, who was filling in for Sgt. Mike Jones, who heads the Sheriff’s Office’s Anna Maria unit.
“We’re on our own, we need to take care of ourselves here,” Murphy added.
Commissioner Doug Copeland noted initial access to the Island after Hurricane Irma was not limited to Island residents.
“They allowed anyone,” he said.
“Hopefully that won’t happen again. I called it to the attention of the new chief of emergency operations,” Murphy said.
“People with bad intentions will be out,” Johnson said of the criminal activities sometimes associated with hurricanes. “Residents need to do their very best to protect their homes and we’re going to do our very best to assist them.”
Copeland asked if access to the city could be limited to those who have city-issued resident tags.
Johnson said he and Murphy would review the resolution and clarify the mayor’s emergency powers.
Anna Maria’s John Deere tractor is equipped with a grappling arm that can remove fallen trees and other storm debris. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted
Additional measures
After the meeting, Murphy noted the city has the ability to deploy portable pumps to flooded areas as needed.
The portable pumps are also used to reduce flooding during particularly high tides, including king tides, which were also anticipated in some areas of Florida during the weekend.
“The tides look pretty favorable,” Murphy said of local tidal predictions.
These portable pumps can be deployed to remove storm-related flood waters.- City of Anna Maria | Submitted
The city also has a large generator that City Clerk LeAnne Addy helped locate during the 2017 hurricane season.
“We’re so much more prepared than we were for Hurricane Irma and if something else comes our way during this hurricane season we’ll be ready,” Murphy said.
Earlier that day, the city clerk’s office posted a notice at the city’s Facebook page stating free, self-filled sandbags were available at the north end of Bayfront Park, near the corner of North Shore Drive and North Bay Boulevard.
Sandbags are available at the north end of Bayfront Park in Anna Maria. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
BRADENTON BEACH – The city of Bradenton Beach declared a local state of emergency on Friday afternoon as part of its precautionary Hurricane Dorian preparations.
The declaration occurred in the form of a city resolution approved by Mayor John Chappie and commissioners Jake Spooner and Marilyn Maro during an emergency meeting that took place at 1 p.m. on Friday.
In addition to his duties with the Bradenton Beach Police Department, Lt. John Cosby serves as the city’s emergency operations coordinator, working closely with Public Works Director Tom Woodard.
Lt. John Cosby and Public Works Director Tom Woodard lead the city’s hurricane preparedness and recovery efforts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“It appears the storm is going to take a major right hook as it hits land. The two main models are coming into consensus. That’s awesome for us – the further it comes inland, the worse for us,” Cosby told the commission.
He said it was still possible Bradenton Beach could experience significant rain and wind, depending on the hurricane’s final course.
Cosby said the Public Works Department already cleaned out the city’s storm drains and removed loose articles from the various city properties.
He said construction companies, contractors, local restaurants, resorts and businesses would be notified that afternoon and asked to secure any loose items that could present hazards during high winds. But on Saturday afternoon, Code Enforcement Officer Gail Garneau distributed an email saying those restrictions were lifted due to the hurricane’s latest anticipated course.
Cosby told the commission he spoke to the managers at the Pines Trailer Park and the Sandpiper Resort and was told the mobile home residents planned to either shelter in place or make arrangements to stay off-Island. Cosby said there was no talk of imposing voluntary or mandatory evacuations.
Cosby said the wooden storm shutters would be closed to cover the windows and doors at city hall during the extended Labor Day weekend and Public Works Department employees would be on call and available if needed.
The wooden storm shutters at Bradenton Beach City Hall were closed Friday afternoon to protect the doors and windows. – David Higgins | Submitted
Cosby said he would confer with the mayor on Monday as to whether city hall would open for business on Tuesday
Chappie then read aloud the emergency declaration that says, “Pursuant to this declaration, the department heads and police Lieutenant John Cosby are hereby ordered to take whatever prudent actions are necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community.”
Cosby said there were city meetings scheduled for Wednesday and the emergency declaration could be canceled then if no longer needed.
High tide
A visit to the Pines Trailer Park seawall and dock a few minutes before Friday’s meeting found park resident Mike Henry standing in shin deep water on the narrow dock that runs along the seawall near the park’s waterfront mobile homes. Henry said he was asked to move his boat to a safer nearby location so it wasn’t docked right in front of the homes closest to the shoreline.
The Pines Trailer Park dock was underwater Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Friday’s higher than usual tide was believed to be associated with a lunar-influenced king tide, and Henry said the water was about two feet higher than usual. The high tide was also closer than usual to the bottom of the decking on the nearby Bridge Street Pier.
HOLMES BEACH – With Hurricane Dorian’s path uncertain, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth is holding off on declaring an emergency in her city.
Titsworth said that she’s holding off until either Sunday, Sept. 1 or Monday, Sept. 2 before declaring a state of emergency for Holmes Beach until the path of the storm is more defined.
Manatee County and both of Holmes Beach’s neighboring cities, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach, declared a state of emergency on Aug. 30. West Manatee Fire Rescue district also held an emergency board meeting Aug. 30 to declare a state of emergency.
In order to receive reimbursements from FEMA for funds spent during and after a storm, particularly for storm debris clean up, a municipality or district must officially declare a state of emergency. Once a state of emergency is declared, the declaration only lasts for 72 hours. With the timing of Hurricane Dorian’s landfall on the east coast uncertain, Titsworth said she preferred to delay the declaration. She said that the city’s departments are ready for the storm if it should come to our area.
In the meantime, she encouraged Holmes Beach residents to make their preparations for the storm, including gathering supplies and readying their residences for possible high winds and heavy rains.
Sandbags and sand are available to residents at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, on the south end of the parking lot. Residents are asked to bring their own shovels.
For updates on the storm and the city’s preparations, Titsworth asked residents to visit the Holmes Beach Police Department’s Facebook page.
Updated Aug. 30, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. | BRADENTON – The Manatee County Commission declared a local state of emergency this morning as Hurricane Dorian approaches, following the statewide emergency declared yesterday by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“Don’t panic. Get your plan in place and start planning for what’s looking to be a rain event, but could possibly turn into wind as well,” said Jacob Saur, acting director of the public safety department.
Dorian, now approaching Category 3 strength, has a taken a turn for the south, according to forecasters, who estimate West Palm Beach as the place of impact.
Locally, storm effects will be worst from the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 1 through the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 4, Saur said, with a potential 3-6 feet of storm surge along the Gulf coast, 4-5 inches of rain, and seas 3-8 feet above normal.
If Dorian makes an expected northward turn in the center of Florida, Saur said there are no local storm surge worries, but if it waits to make the northward turn until it reaches the west coast, storm surge will be a concern.
NOAA forecasters currently show the “cone of uncertainty” as covering the entire Florida peninsula, and predict that the storm will slow after its makes landfall.
“As the storm slows down, it has an opportunity to expand its eyewall,” Saur said.
The arrival of storm-force winds locally are predicted from Monday, Sept. 2 through Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Winds are expected to be equal to or greater than Hurricane Irma in 2017, said Steve Litschauer, chief of the county’s emergency management department. Ground already saturated with rainwater then inundated with Dorian’s rain could lead to canals and rivers flooding, he said.
Residents of mobile homes and RVs should plan on evacuating Sunday, when county officials expect to declare mandatory mobile home and RV evacuations. Three to four shelters, three of which are pet-friendly, will be opened, along with the special needs shelter, also pet-friendly, he said, adding that shelter openings will be announced Saturday.
The homeless transportation plan likely will be put into effect to transport homeless persons to shelters, Litschauer said.
Sandbags are available today, Friday, Aug. 30, and tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 31 at G.T. Bray Park parking lot, Bennet Park, Lakewood Ranch Park and the Bradenton Area Convention Center.
Free sandbags also are available from the City of Anna Maria at the corner of North Shore Drive and North Bay Boulevard at the far north end of Bayfront Park.
The county’s Citizen Information Center line, 941-749-3547, will field calls from the public today and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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