Sandbags and beach trips mark the approach of Elsa in Manatee County

A steady stream of Manatee County residents picked up sandbags at G.T. Bray Park on Tuesday, bracing for a downpour and possible flooding as Elsa traveled along Florida’s west coast.

The storm was about 240 miles south of Tampa by 8 a.m., and according to the National Hurricane Center, it could reach near-hurricane strength within 24 hours.

Jeff Stevens was among dozens of people in the snaking car line at G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton, by 8:25 a.m. — less than half an hour after the site opened.

He recently moved to a home in Palmetto, directly on the Manatee River, and his biggest concern on Tuesday was flooding. Manatee County was under a tropical storm warning, while coastal residents were under a storm surge warning.

“We still have stuff in our garage we don’t want to get ruined,” he said. “I haven’t finished completely unpacking yet.”

Meanwhile, a handful of people gathered at Manatee Public Beach for a quick walk or swim before Elsa made its presence known. A man scoured the sand with his metal detector while a nearby family unloaded chairs and green pool noodles from their car.

With beach days and summer fun in mind, Martin Mahaffey’s family booked their trip from South Carolina to Manatee County last April. They arrived at the beach at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, determined to beat the storm and enjoy their vacation.

“I figured we’d come and get a little beach time in, relax for a little while, and come back later,” he said.

The Mahaffeys also signed up for Alert Manatee, a county tool that pushes weather updates, local resources or other information to people’s phones and emails.

Anyone can sign up by texting “ManateeReady” to 888777.

And for those who need refuge during the storm, the county opened a pet-friendly shelter at Manatee High School, 902 33rd St. Court W. in Bradenton.

Though it had no visitors as of 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the building was open to residents of mobile home parks, low-lying neighborhoods and anyone else who needed shelter from the incoming wind and rain.

For more information about how to prepare for Elsa, call 311 — a county call center that’s expected to stay open through 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 11:53 AM.