BRADENTON BEACH – City officials declared a local state of emergency beginning on Aug. 2 at 9 a.m. in advance of a tropical system expected to bring heavy rains this weekend.
“We have tropical mass 97-L that’s out there,” Police Chief John Cosby said at an Aug. 1 city commission meeting. “Just as a precaution, Manatee County is going to be declaring a state of emergency tomorrow at 9 o’clock. Ours will go into effect tomorrow at 9 o’clock to coincide with the county’s just in case we need it.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 54 Florida counties, including Manatee County.
Cosby said the state of emergency status can last up to seven days and, if a longer period is needed, it will need commission approval. Cosby also asked the commission to give him discretion to cancel it sooner if necessary.
“Public works will be checking all the storm drains tomorrow, high water signs will go out and any loose objects will be removed and precautionary measures of course as always,” Cosby, who is also interim public works director, said. “Everybody’s been put on notice, they’re on call and if we need to bring everybody in, we’ll bring everybody in.”
The declaration of a local state of emergency allows the city to suspend day-to-day activities and concentrate on storm preparation.
“It also gives the mayor and myself some leeway as far as finance procedures to get things done. It also changes how we pay our employees so the exempt employees can earn overtime during a disaster,” he said.
The local state of emergency declaration is also required in order to apply for state and FEMA funding, according to Cosby.
“In Manatee County we use an incident command system so decisions are all made pretty much as a group, and recommendations are given, everybody agrees on what we need to do. We talk about times if the evacuations should occur, when shelters will open,” Cosby said. “No one can do it by themselves. And under Chapter 252 of the state statutes, every county is required to have an emergency operation center and then everything else falls under that, so once they declare an emergency, they’re taking the lead.”
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says development is likely by this weekend with impacts felt along the Gulf Coast of Florida. According to NHC, “heavy rainfall could linger until early next week, and gusty winds and coastal flooding could also accompany this system, with the details of those impacts hinging on how well organized it becomes.”
BRADENTON – As a fifth case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was announced in Manatee County today, commissioners declared a state of emergency.
Manatee County Public Safety Department Director Jake Sauer made the announcement during Monday afternoon’s emergency Manatee County Commission meeting.
“We added one today for a total of five residents in Manatee County that have tested positive for COVID-19. We have 25 under public health monitoring within the county,” Sauer said.
“So far in Manatee County, there are zero fatalities related to COVID-19. So far in Florida, there are four deaths. Positive cases, 136. There’s a lot of data coming in and as soon as I say these things they’re already out of date,” Sauer said of those numbers.
Florida has several confirmed COVID-19 cases and exposures related to ports and airports, Sauer said.
He also noted Florida has a large tourist population and a large population of elderly citizens.
“These factors make Florida communities particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19,” Sauer said. “We are nowhere near the peak of this and you should expect to see more cases come online as testing becomes available.”
Sauer stressed the importance of taking precautionary measures that include avoiding large crowds and staying home if you’re sick.
“Moving forward we must all be proactive rather than reactive. It is not a time to panic. It’s a time to plan and prepare. There’s not a supply chain problem and there’s not a supply problem. You do not need to hoard supplies,” Sauer said.
Dr. Bencie speaks
Sauer then deferred to Dr. Jennifer Bencie, director of the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County.
“The new and uncharted territory we’re entering with this disease and the tremendous publicity that it is generating can only deepen concerns. Now is not the time to panic, but a time to unite and a time to practice prevention tips,” Bencie said.
“Although we’re only at the start of this pandemic, with no idea how long it will last, we will surely see this public health event through, just as we have with so many others in the past,” she added.
“As of one o’clock today, Manatee County has seen five cases of the disease. I’m happy at this time there are no deaths in Manatee County due to this illness and that those who have been diagnosed have either recovered or are in the recovery phase,” Bencie said.
“Our team continues to track and monitor anyone who may be at risk for having coronavirus based on symptoms, travel history, contact with those who’ve been diagnosed with the disease and other criteria,” Bencie said.
Bencie said the symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, a dry cough and shortness of breath.
Bencie encourages anyone who believes they might have contracted COVID-19 to first call the Manatee Health Line or the Florida Department of Health before visiting a hospital emergency room or health care provider.
The Manatee Health Line phone number is 941-242-6649 and is in operation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Florida Department of Health COVID-19 call center in Tallahassee can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-779-6121.
Bencie encourages anyone who has traveled internationally or domestically to places with higher case counts, or those who have come in contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus, to also call one of the health department phone numbers before going to an emergency room or doctor’s office.
Bencie said this allows health department personnel to interview the caller to help determine if they need to be tested. It also helps prevent a contagious person from walking into a doctor’s waiting room or an emergency room unannounced and unexpected.
Emergency declaration
During Monday’s emergency meeting, county commissioners declared a countywide state of emergency.
Commissioner Steve Jonsson said declaring a state of emergency gives the county a place in line if and when state and federal funds become available regarding the coronavirus outbreak.
“That’s one of the main reasons for a local state of emergency. It really is for tracking and financial purposes,” Sauer added.
No beach or business closings
Commissioner Betsy Benac asked if there were any plans to close the county beaches. Sauer and County Administrator Cheri Coryea said there were currently no plans to do so.
In response to questions from Benac and Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, Sauer said the county does not have the authority to close or dictate hours of operation to privately owned restaurants, bars and businesses. He said that direction would have to come from the state and Governor Ron DeSantis.
White House Task Force member Dr. Deborah Birx, center, asks for cooperation with coronavirus guidelines.
Federal guidelines announced
About an hour after the county meeting ended, the White House Coronavirus Task Force released a new set of federal guidelines that recommend people not gather in groups larger than 10 people for the next 15 days.
Task force member Dr. Deborah Birx stressed the importance of all Americans of all ages to follow these voluntary guidelines in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
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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