Manatee County preps early for next major storm. Here’s where you can get sandbags.
Just days before Hurricane Irma made landfall in September, Manatee County residents hustled to fill their own sandbags at G.T. Bray Park.
Now, the county is taking proactive measures before the next major storm hits. Public Works crews will distribute up to 10 sandbags per household on two Saturdays in the coming weeks:
- July 28 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Manatee County Transit & Fleet Facility, 2411 Tallevast Road in Bradenton.
- Aug. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto.
Additional sandbag distribution sites and their statuses can be found on the county’s newly redesigned website.
“We just want people to always be ready in case severe weather approaches,” information outreach manager Nick Azzarra said. “We don’t always have the luxury of having five days to prepare for a hurricane.”
The announcement came about a month after the county unveiled its new sandbagging machines, which can fill up to 700 bags per hour at 50 pounds each.
In June, the National Weather Service launched a website that allows residents to view hurricane forecasts for their block. Although the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be less active than last year’s, Manatee County residents can prepare early by:
Signing up for CodeRED alerts.
Building an emergency kit.
Knowing their evacuation level.
Finding nearby emergency shelters.
Signing up for the Special Needs Registry for assistance in evacuation.
For more disaster readiness tips, visit the Manatee County Emergency Management website, or call 941-748-4501.
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