Manatee County gives update on 100 mph winds in Myakka, trash pickup, Hurricane Ian recovery
Residents who evacuated to avoid Hurricane Ian’s wrath are now allowed to return to their homes, Manatee County officials announced Thursday morning.
Following the hurricane’s course through the area, emergency management officials lifted the evacuation order and released residents from the shelters.
Earlier this week, U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasts predicted the storm would make landfall near Anna Maria Island, but early reports indicate that the Bradenton area appears to have avoided widespread catastrophic impacts, officials say.
“We dodged a pretty significant bullet, but we have a lot of work to do,” County Administrator Scott Hopes said. “There are a number of downed power lines and trees blocking roadways.”
Hopes described significant damage in Myakka City, Palma Sola, Anna Maria Island and Snead Island, but it will take time to determine which areas were hardest hit by Hurricane Ian.
As they head back home, residents are asked to be cautious on the roads and avoid any hazards, such as downed power lines, flood waters and trees in the roadway.
Starting late Wednesday night, county personnel began sending crews to handle the county’s most pressing matters, such as clearing roads, refueling evacuation shelters that were running low on gas for their generators and repairing sewage stations.
The deployment marks the first shift toward Manatee County’s recovery in response to the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane about 60 miles south of Bradenton in Cayo Costa, FL.
No deaths reported
In a 2 p.m. briefing Thursday, Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge said officials are not aware of any deaths in the county as a result of the storm.
Steve Litschauer, the county’s deputy director of public safety, said the eastern part of the county took a harder hit than the western part.
Near Myakka City, there were recorded gusts over 100 mph and over 10 inches of rain, he said.
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.
Restoring power is top priority
County officials said the first priority will be working with Florida Power & Light crews to begin restoring power. As of early Thursday morning, about 125,000 FPL customers in Manatee County were without electricity. That number had dipped to about 100,000 late Thursday afternoon, according to FPL figures.
Van Ostenbridge said FPL was prioritizing restoring power at schools, hospitals and assisted living facilities, and said some residents could go without power for “another couple of days.”
In the days ahead of Hurricane Ian, FPL staged dozens of crews in Arcadia to prepare for disaster response. Manatee County has begun sending teams in their direction to clear the road and allow FPL workers to repair downed power lines.
FPL posted a tweet late Wednesday cautioning residents to remain patient as they assess the damage and determine what repairs are necessary.
“Hurricane Ian’s catastrophic winds will mean parts of our system will need to be rebuilt — not restored,” FPL wrote. “Be prepared for widespread, extended outages as we are assessing the damage. We are already at work restoring power where we can do so safely.”
Manatee County’s Emergency Operations Center will also remain active as the disaster recovery response begins.
In a Thursday morning briefing with county staff, Hopes said that response will be vital to restoring a sense of normalcy.
“We have one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation. We have a strong private economy. The best way to keep that up is by doing the jobs that you’re going to be doing in the coming weeks,” Hopes told EOC staff in a Thursday morning briefing at the Emergency Operations Center.
Manatee County begins sewer repairs
As of Thursday morning, about hundreds of Manatee County lift stations have been compromised due to the storm. Utility workers are working to get them back online.
Lift stations play a crucial part role in a functioning wastewater system. The stations lift solid waste from the sewer lines and send it to the next station. Without the lift stations online, an unknown number of residents are unable to flush their toilets or use their drains.
In a tweet posted Wednesday afternoon, county officials urged residents to avoid using use their drains, pointing to the lift station issues.
“Numerous lift stations are without power. As a result, customers are asked to refrain from using water,” Manatee County Government said. “Please limit flushing, showering, doing dishes, laundry and other activities where water goes down the drain.”
Trash pickup
Regular trash pickup schedules will resume 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.
Hurricane Ian recovery could take weeks
Early Thursday morning, emergency management officials deployed a series of First-In Teams to clear debris, help with rescue and determine when county roads will be able to reopen.
“These seven teams — fully-staffed and outfitted with a fire truck, bulldozer, bus and EMS Unit — are staged at strategic locations around the county, so once the winds subside, they can make initial assessments and rescues, if necessary, and then aid in recovery efforts,” the county said in a statement.
The county also hired four contractors to assist with disaster recovery, said County Administrator Scott Hopes. Manatee County Government’s 2,000-employee workforce has also been asked to lend a hand.
By Thursday afternoon, county employees will be requested to volunteer to help with key tasks, such as answering phone lines and picking up hurricane debris. In the coming days, residents will also be given the opportunity to assist in Manatee’s recovery response. More details will be announced at a later date.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 10:37 AM.
