LIVE UPDATES: What to know in Bradenton, Manatee County after Hurricane Ian

Find the latest updates for Friday here.

Bradenton and Manatee County escaped the worst of Hurricane Ian, which brought catastrophic damage and storm surge to Southwest Florida.

It is now a tropical storm over northeast Florida and expected to swing out over the coast and back toward South Carolina near hurricane intensity.

A tropical storm warning was lifted for Florida’s Gulf coast Thursday morning. No more heavy rains or other weather threats are forecast in Manatee County.

No deaths reported in Manatee County

At an afternoon briefing, Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge said officials are not aware of any deaths in the county as a result of the storm.

Officials said three families in the county were rescued from their flooded homes and that the county is putting them up in temporary housing.

At least one home was destroyed, Van Ostenbridge said, while another 20 sustained “moderate” damage and 40 were “affected.” Those numbers will rise as county officials continue to assess damage.

— 3:30 p.m.

Trash pickup

Regular trash pickup schedules will resume in Manatee County on Monday, Van Ostenbridge said. But please separate storm debris from the normal trash, as they will be picked up by different trucks.

Tipping fees at the landfill will be waived, and there will be extended hours until 6 p.m. starting Monday.

“You should anticipate longer lines at the landfill next week,” he said.

Manatee County schools closed Friday

Manatee County schools will remain closed through at least Friday.

Classes are expected to resume on Monday morning, a school district statement said, but storm damage and maintenance needs still have to be checked at all schools. A final decision on when classes will resume will be announced soon, the school district said Thursday.

“In addition, the 17 schools that served as shelters during Hurricane Ian need to be thoroughly cleaned and prepared for instruction to resume,” the school district said.

— 2 p.m.

Boil water notice in effect for some Manatee County homes

A boil water notice is in effect for homes in Manatee County which recently had their water restored, Manatee County Government said Thursday afternoon.

“We are in the process of restoring water to those homes that lost it. Once it has been turned back on, please boil it if you want to drink or cook with it,” the county said in a Tweet.

At their afternoon press briefing, county officials advised residents to boil their water for 24 to 48 hours if they lost power during the storm.

— 2 p.m.

Sunshine Skyway, barrier island bridges reopen

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was reopened to traffic on Wednesday afternoon after wind speeds dropped to 30 miles per hour, Florida Highway Patrol said.

“Motorists may cross the span, but are asked to use caution due to debris along the highway shoulders,” the agency said in a news release.

As of Thursday afternoon, the flow of traffic has been restored to the barrier islands off of Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Palma Sola Causeway and the Cortez Bridge are reopened.

The John Ringling Causeway and Siesta Key bridges had been reopened as of 12:30 p.m., the City of Sarasota said.

— 12:50 p.m.

How strong was it in Bradenton?

Meteorologist Ernie Jillson, of the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay, said the peak wind gust in Manatee County was recorded at 86 mph at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

He said rainfall peaked at 5.46 inches, with rain reported between that amount and 3 inches around Manatee County.

At an afternoon press conference, Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge said those numbers were even higher in Myakka, with gusts over 100 miles per hour and over 10 inches of rain.

Storm surge totals have not yet been reported for the area.

— noon

Evacuation orders lifted

Manatee County officials lifted mandatory evacuation orders Thursday morning that had been in effect since Tuesday. Emergency evacuation shelters, which housed over 5,000 people during the storm, were being closed and residents were allowed to return home.

“This is not an all-clear,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said in a statement. “There are still hazards out there. And you need to understand the danger.”

The county was one of nine in Florida included in a major disaster declaration by President Joe Biden on Thursday, which authorizes full federal reimbursement of eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures over 30 days.

— 10:30 a.m.

Damage assessment begins

First responder crews across Bradenton and Manatee County are beginning to survey damage and mobilize recovery efforts.

Bradenton Police said around 9 a.m. that “many roads have downed trees, possibly power lines, and some areas will be flooded.”

Fuel is being delivered to three shelters using generators: Braden River High School, Lee Middle School and Bayshore Elementary School.

Manatee County’s wastewater system saw more than 200 lift stations without power, more than 28% of the system. Crews are delivering generators to get the lift stations operational, starting with master lift stations.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday morning, nearly 160,000 homes in Manatee had no power — 125,450 Florida Power & Light customers and 34,315 Peace River Electric Cooperative customers.

Teams were working to first clear State Road 70 for FPL crews to start restoring power.

Teams also cleared the way to Anna Maria Island so sewer service, then potable water service can be restored. Bridges to the island reopened around 10 a.m.

The forecast shows scattered showers before 2 p.m. and partly sunny skies with a high near 81. Thursday night, the cool front steering Ian will cool things down to a low of 70 and wind gusts could be up to 32 mph. with isolated showers after 5 a.m.

— 9 a.m.

River flooding

The amount of heavy rain has flooded some rivers. There is a major flood warning for:

Manatee River Near Myakka Head at SR 64 affecting Manatee County:

• Flood warning until early Sunday morning. Flood stage is 11 feet. Early Thursday morning the level was 18.9 feet, expected to crest at 20.5 feet Thursday afternoon.

Manatee River At Rye Bridge affecting Manatee County:

• Flood warning until further notice. Flood stage is 11 feet. Early Thursday morning the level was 16.8 feet, expected to crest at 16.9 feet Thursday morning. At 17 feet, water reaches the foundations of elevated homes and the Christian Retreat center. This is a new record as the previous crest was 15.7 feet in 2001.

Bradenton, Manatee weather forecast

Today: Tropical storm conditions possible. Scattered showers before 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tonight: Isolated showers after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Windy, with a north northwest wind 16 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Friday: Isolated showers before 8am, then isolated showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Northwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday night: Isolated showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. North wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. West northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Light west wind increasing to 5-10 mph in the morning.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Bradenton Herald staff writers Ryan Callihan, Jessica De Leon, Jason Dill and James A. Jones Jr. contributed reporting.

This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 8:10 AM.