Manatee County’s weather expected to deteriorate as Hurricane Dorian eyes Florida

One certain thing about tropical systems is the uncertainty.

Manatee County residents learned that lesson well in the days ahead of Hurricane Irma in September 2017 as the storm baffled forecasters and left Florida residents scrambling from one coast to the next.

As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Tampa is forecasting that the weather in Manatee County will continue to deteriorate through Labor Day weekend, with tropical storm conditions possible by Sunday.

Thursday is expected to be a typical summer day with highs in the 90s and a 30 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day.

Things begin to change by Friday afternoon with a slight increase in a northeast wind to 9 mph and a chance of storms at 70 percent after 2 p.m. That forecast remains through Saturday with winds increasing to 13 mph.

By Sunday, the NWS reports, “Tropical storm conditions are possible,” mainly after 2 p.m.

Rain chances remain high until Monday night when they drop to 40 percent.

There are no advisories, watches or warnings in place, but officials advise residents to begin preparations.

For now, Manatee County officials say there are no plans to activate the Emergency Operations Center just yet.

“Because the storm is moving relative slowly, it’s too early to tell what local impacts might be,” said Nick Azzara, the county’s information outreach manager.

However, emergency personnel are closely monitoring Hurricane Dorian. Sand bags will soon be available for county residents, and officials suggest getting a storm preparedness plan together and visiting MyManatee.org/ManateeReady for a list of tips and supplies for local households.

The NWS reports that tropical storm conditions will begin Wednesday for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and portions of the Dominican Republic as the storm continues to track northeast.

As the storm moves into water temperatures approaching 90 degrees near the Bahamas, it is forecast to strengthen to a hurricane by Friday and could become a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph by the time it approaches the east coast of Florida.

The NWS issued a statement in its latest hazardous weather outlook for Floridians on Wednesday, noting “Please continue to monitor the progress of Dorian through the week. Now is a good time to make sure household hurricane plan is in order.”

Staff writer Ryan Callihan contributed to this story.

This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 11:09 AM.