Which parts of Manatee County are most at risk of climate change? See the list
A new study identifies which crucial infrastructure in Manatee County is at the highest risk from flooding over the coming decades.
The study by Manatee County Government and engineering firm Cummins Cederberg is part of the Resilient Florida Program, a statewide effort to help communities adapt to sea level rise, more extreme rainfall, storms and other increasing flood threats associated with climate change.
With record rainfall and storm surge, last year’s hurricane season brought a taste of what Manatee County could expect to see from future storms intensified by climate change.
County staff say the new study, called a Vulnerability Assessment, will allow local leaders to narrow in on the areas where infrastructure needs to be strengthened most.
The study assigned flooding “risk scores” to key county infrastructure like roadways, bridges, hospitals, and emergency stations and ranked them as low, medium and high risk. The risk scores factor in each location’s vulnerability to flooding, the importance of the services it provides and how severely flooding would interrupt its services.
Top 20 places most at risk from flooding
- Coquina Bayside Park
- Ward Lake Dam
- SeaPort Manatee
- West Manatee Fire & Rescue Station 3 in Holmes Beach
- Braden River Park
- Tom Bennett Park
- U.S. Coast Guard Station in Cortez
- CSX Mainline Railroad over the Manatee River
- Kay Road Bridge over Cypress Stand
- Bradenton Beach Police Department
- Lift station at Lychee Acres in Bradenton
- Westminster Towers and Shores of Bradenton
- Lift Station #8 in Holmes Beach
- Lift Station #1 in Bradenton Beach
- Robinson Preserve
- Longboat Key Fire Department Station #1
- City of Holmes Beach Police Department
- Holmes Beach City Hall
- Rye Preserve
- Lift Station #15 in Anna Maria
Top roadways at flood risk
- Interstate 75 South
- U.S. 301
- Marina Drive
- State Road 64
- Bayshore Road
- State Road 70
- Interstate 75 North
- Gulf Drive
Top 10 emergency and community facilities at flood risk
- Manatee County Sheriff’s Office District 5 Headquarters in Anna Maria
- Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit
- Manatee County Marine Rescue
- West Manatee Fire District Station 2
- West Manatee Fire District Station 3
- Rubonia Community Center
- Manatee County Jail
- Manatee County Convention and Civic Center
- Southern Manatee Fire District Station 5
- Myakka Fire District Station 1
Other places at high flood risk
- Anna Maria Island Community Center
- Island Branch Library
- Coquina Beach Boat Ramp
- Longboat Key Police Department
- Holmes Beach Police Department
- Anna Maria Island Elementary
- City Field
- Manatee County Utilities
- Crosley Estate
- Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
- Fort Hamer Boat Ramp
- Palma Sola Boat Ramp
- State Road 64 East Boat Ramp
- Jiggs Landing
- FISH Preserve
- Cortez Schoolhouse
- Manatee Memorial Hospital
- HCA Florida Blake Hospital
- Bradenton City Hall
- Perico Preserve
- DeSoto National Memorial
- Geraldson’s Community Farm
- Palmetto Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Manatee County Fairgrounds
- Lincoln Community Park
- Palmetto Youth Center
Focus areas to address flooding
- Barrier islands
- Bayshore Gardens
- Braden River
- Cortez
- Lakewood Ranch
- Manatee Metro area | Bradenton
- Myakka City
- Palmetto | Ellenton
- Piney Point | Port Manatee
- Rubonia | Terra Ceia
- Upper Manatee River
- Lake Manatee Dam area
- Frye Canal