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Anna Maria, Manatee County preparing for Hurricane Milton

Anna Maria, Manatee County preparing for Hurricane Milton

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – City and county officials are preparing for Hurricane Milton as the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts continue.

Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission held an emergency meeting this morning (Sunday) at 11 a.m. Manatee County public safety officials held a brief hurricane-related press conference at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.

Anna Maria

The city of Anna Maria’s previously declared local state of emergency remains in effect as Tropical Storm Milton approaches Anna Maria Island as a potential Cat 2 or Cat 3 hurricane with possible life-threatening winds and storm surge.

This morning, Murphy ordered a mandatory city of Anna Maria evacuation effective at noon on Monday. This afternoon, Manatee County issued a mandatory evacuation for zones A and B effective at 2 p.m. Monday.

At 2:30 p.m. today (Sunday), Murphy sent city commissioners an email informing them that a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office re-entry checkpoint will be established at the entrance to the city at noon on Monday, but there is no city curfew in place at this time.

“Our intent is to not allow in sight-seers, party goers and looters and those who simply have no business or purpose in coming to our city at this time of emergency preparation,” Murphy stated in his email that noted the following vehicles will be allowed to pass through the Anna Maria checkpoint:

  • Vehicles with a city of Anna Maria re-entry tag
  • Residents with an Anna Maria address, supported by a driver’s license, state-issued ID, mail and deputy discretion.
  • Anna Maria property owners
  • Anna Maria vacation rental customers
  • Anna Maria business owners and employees
  • County, state and federal restoration employees
  • Building contractors/employees with an Anna Maria job site
  • Delivery vehicles (UPS,  FedEx, Amazon, etc.)
  • Transport vehicles (Uber, Taxis, etc.)
  • Clean up workers with an Anna Maria destination
  • Debris haulers, street sweepers, etc.
  • Any other vehicles, at the sole discretion of the deputy on site

City-issued evacuation re-entry tags can still be acquired at city hall until noon on Monday when city hall is expected to close to the public until Hurricane Milton passes.

Debris removal

As of 11 a.m., Murphy was awaiting the arrival of 34 FDOT and/or National Guard dump trucks and claw trucks to help clear the Anna Maria rights of way of Hurricane Helene debris before Hurricane Milton arrives, with a focus on removing the debris along North Shore Drive, from Pine Avenue to the Rod & Reel Pier, and also along Bay Boulevard.

At 3:30 p.m., the following announcement was posted at the city of Anna Maria Facebook page: “The city of Anna Maria has employed debris removal trucks from five agencies to remove debris and deposit it either in Bayfront Park or to the Lena (Road) landfill. Although we have made some progress, the amount of debris is increasing exponentially and consideration must be taken for the impending effects of Hurricane Milton. Accordingly, do not place any further debris in the city right-of-way until after the hurricane passes. This debris can become dangerous projectiles; endangering lives, creating further property damage and blocking access to our streets. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”

Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Manatee County have issued similar debris placement requests.

Murphy said no looting has been reported in Anna Maria, but anything placed in the city right of way can be removed by scrappers and others and that is not considered looting or stealing.

Sandbags

Empty sandbags are available today and early tomorrow near the north end of Bayfront Park. You might want to bring your own shovel and someone to hold the bags while you fill them.

City updates

Continuing hurricane-related updates and information are available at the city of Anna Maria website, www.cityofannamaria.com and the City of Anna Maria Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067051575662.

Additional information can be found at the Holmes Beach Police Department Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HolmesBeachPD and the Bradenton Beach Police Department Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080990498526.

Manatee County

At 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Manatee County officials held a brief Hurricane Milton-related press conference. Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske announced mandatory evacuations in evacuation zones A and B beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday.

Fiske said the Hurricane Milton storm surge is expected to be worse than the Hurricane Helene storm surge and she strongly encourages anyone in evacuation zones A and B to heed the evacuation orders and find safety on higher ground. You can check your evacuation zone level and the potential storm surge inundation for your specific address at: https://www.mymanatee.org/residents/information

School closings

At 3 p.m. (Sunday) the Manatee County School District announced that Manatee County school and school-related will be closed Monday, Oct. 7, through Wednesday, Oct. 9. Some schools will be used as hurricane shelters.

County updates

Continuing hurricane-related updates and information can be found at Manatee County’s Severe Weather Information Center, https://extreme-weather-dashboard-manateegis.hub.arcgis.com/, and also at the Manatee County Government Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/manateegov.

Manatee County School District extends spring break

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County, Schools.

MANATEE COUNTY – As a coronavirus (COVID-19) precautionary measure, spring break for Manatee County students has been extended by an additional week.

Manatee County schools, including Anna Maria Elementary School, are now scheduled to reopen on Monday, March 30. School district employees are still scheduled to return to work on Monday, March 23.

At 5:55 p.m. on Friday, March 13, Michael Barber, School District of Manatee County director of communications, family and community engagement, issued the following written statement addressing the spring break extension.

“Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran, with the support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has directed school districts across the state to close for two weeks due to concerns related to coronavirus (COVID -19),” according to the statement.

“For the School District of Manatee County, that means schools will be closed to students until Monday, March 30, 2020. Next week, March 16-20, is spring break in the district, so schools were already closed. The district will extend spring break for an additional week to meet the commissioner’s requirements. All extracurricular activities for students, including all athletic contests, will be postponed for the next two weeks,” the statement says.

“The coronavirus pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on our society and across the world, so it is not surprising that it is now directly impacting our schools,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said in the written statement.

Manatee County School District extends spring break
School District employees are scheduled to return to work on Monday, March 23. – Manatee County School District | Submitted

“We are charged with the safety and security of our students and employees so we will abide by all protocols and procedures endorsed by the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, our Governor and the Commissioner of Education. I know our students, employees and community will rise up to meet the challenges before us,” Saunders said in the statement.

“All school district employees will work the week of Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27. Instructional personnel will work on professional development and training while support personnel will conduct the regular business operations of the district and prepare for the return of students on March 30,” the statement says.

“School District officials will continue to monitor developments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) during the next two weeks and will provide updates on district and school websites; social media pages; the mobile app MySDMC and through electronic Connect-Ed phone calls and emails. Additional details will be provided to students, parents and employees next week,” the written statement says in conclusion.

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