Manatee County issues state of emergency for Tropical Storm Elsa. Here’s what to know
Manatee County officials have declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa’s projected arrival along the Gulf Coast of Florida this coming week.
As of 2 p.m. Sunday, models show that Elsa is expected to remain a tropical storm as it travels north across Cuba and up the west coast of Florida over the next several days. The storm is predicted to take a northeast turn on Wednesday that would carry it across north and central Florida and back into the Atlantic.
Tropical storm conditions could arrive in the Bradenton area as soon as Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Tropical storm force winds range from 39 to 73 mph. On Sunday afternoon, Tropical Storm Elsa had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of Sunday afternoon, there were no plans to issue evacuation orders or open emergency shelters in Manatee County.
However, officials are urging Manatee County residents to make sure they are prepared for the storm now — especially people who live in areas prone to flooding. The main threat to the Bradenton area from Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to be heavy rains, according to Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur.
“It’s important for the public to monitor the storm and prepare for a possible tropical storm impacting our area,” Saur said in a public advisory. “This will largely be a rain event but as the ground is already saturated, trees can easily topple from the winds produced by tropical storms in our area.”
As of Sunday afternoon, rain chances for the Bradenton area this week are placed at 50% on Monday, 70% on Tuesday and 50% on Wednesday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 15 Florida counties, including Manatee, on Saturday. A local state of emergency for Manatee County was declared by county administrator Scott Hopes on Sunday.
State of emergency declarations allow local governments to access extra resources and activate special services. Manatee County’s Emergency Operations Center will go into a Level 2, or partial, activation on Monday, officials said.
“Now is not the time to panic, but it’s time to finalize your storm preparations,” Hopes said in a public advisory. “Our residents know the area best and they should begin to make alternate plans now if they’re usually affected by storm surges or flooding.”
A self-serve sandbag distribution site is open at the Manatee County Public Works Department, 5511 39 St. E., Bradenton, until 7 p.m. Sunday. It will reopen on Monday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The storm may also affect Manatee County Area Transit bus service, officials said on Sunday. Residents can find out about any potential interruptions at mymanatee.org/departments/mcat.
Residents can also dial 311 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday with storm related questions or text ManateeReady to 888-777 to receive updates on the storm.
This story was originally published July 4, 2021 at 2:28 PM.