Here’s how Anna Maria, Myakka, Parrish, Cortez, Lakewood Ranch fared in Hurricane Ian
Manatee County and the Bradenton area were spared the most catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Ian as the Category 4 storm devastated parts of Florida’s west coast Wednesday, a relief for residents after forecasts earlier in the week had predicted the storm would make landfall near Anna Maria Island.
The county lifted its emergency evacuation order Thursday morning, releasing thousands of residents who had gathered in shelters.
Still, many residents emerged to find major flooding, uprooted trees and downed power lines.
As of early Thursday morning, about 125,000 Florida Power & Light customers in Manatee County were still without electricity.
Eastern Manatee County experienced flooding from the Manatee River and Myakka River, plus wind damage left by the hurricane, whose eye passed near Myakka City.
There were recorded gusts over 100 mph and over 10 inches of rain.
“There are a lot of trees and power lines down on the roads. A lot of barns got blown away. It was pretty bad last night,” said Danny Cacchioti, a retired fire chief for Myakka Fire Rescue.
Cachiotti spent the night at the Myakka City Elementary School shelter with 114 other evacuees.
Ty Martin, who owns and operates a food truck in the Parrish area, said there was substantial tree damage in his Moccasin Wallow Road neighborhood and that construction sites were flooded by heavy rains.
Martin started his day at another Parrish neighborhood, Harrison Ranch, helping a friend who had a tree come down his yard.
Jim Emanuelson, president of the Lakewood Ranch Community Emergency Response Team, said he knew of no injuries in his community and that damage appeared to be relatively limited.
Still, a lot of trees were down, some falling on cars or blocking streets. About one-third of Manatee County’s largest master planned community was without power Thursday morning.
Cortez resident Lisa Harrison, 68, walked over to Star Fish Co. where she works just after dawn Thursday to check on the restaurant.
“It sounded like a freight train,” she said, describing the storm. “We have no cellphone service and, of course, no power.”
At one point, Harrison said her toilet started backing up. She had worried about riding out the hurricane in the house built in the 1940s, but it held up.
“Overall, I think Cortez fared well,” she said.
Around west Bradenton and on Anna Maria Island, Hurricane Ian downed trees, fences and power lines.
Although the evacuation order was lifted and bridges were reopened to the Island, the City of Anna Maria was still only allowing residents and business owners back into the city as of Thursday morning.
Bradenton Herald staff writer Ryan Callihan contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 11:52 AM.