Live updates: Hurricane Helene forms in Gulf as Manatee begins mandatory evacuation
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Hurricane Helene 2024
Hurricane Helene is projected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and possible floods to Manatee County and Florida’s Big Bend region. Forecasts, as of September 25, project Helene will strike Florida Thursday evening, September 26, and head north through parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina into Friday.
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UPDATE: Hurricane Helene is forecast to impact Manatee County and Southwest Florida with storm surge and powerful wind on Thursday. See the latest live updates here.
Manatee County is preparing for Hurricane Helene, which is forecast to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast with major storm impacts starting Wednesday.
The storm strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane on Wednesday morning as it entered the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said.
The latest tropical weather forecast predicts Helene will become a major hurricane at Category 3 strength by Thursday morning as it barrels north past the coast of Southwest Florida. The current forecast path has Helene making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday evening.
But forecasters warn the storm’s size will make its impacts widely felt.
Current severe weather predictions for the Bradenton area include tropical storm force winds of up to 73 mph, 5 to 8 feet of storm surge and 3 to 6 inches of rain, with higher amounts in some areas.
“We do expect to start feeling the impacts of Hurricane Helene (Thursday) morning and throughout the day,” Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fisk said in a Wednesday afternoon update.
Water cutoff planned for Anna Maria Island
Manatee County officials say they plan to suspend water service to Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key as early as 6 p.m. Wednesday due to projected storm surge levels.
Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and the Town of Longboat Key will be affected.
“This precautionary measure is being implemented due to the anticipated high winds and potential storm surge, which could threaten the integrity of the water infrastructure,” the county said in a news release.
The county said island residents should receive IPAWs emergency alerts regarding the shutoff, and “updates will be provided if it is safe to keep the water service running.”
— 2:30 p.m.
NHC warns of storm surge threat
“The large size of the storm is going to push so much water,” NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said during a Wednesday morning update. “When it comes to storm surge, the size of the hurricane is often more important than the intensity, which is often hard for people to digest.”
“If you’ve been asked to evacuate or ordered to evacuate, it’s probably because of these storm surge values,” Rhome said.
— 12 p.m.
Evacuation orders issued, shelters open
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, Manatee County officials have issued evacuation orders for residents in Level A and a recommended evacuation order for residents in Level B. To check your zone, visit www.MyManatee.org/storm or www.FloridaDisaster.org/KnowYourZone.
Evacuation orders are issued depending on expected storm surge. Residents in evacuation Level A are the most vulnerable to storm surge and the first ordered to evacuate and residents in evacuation level E are the least vulnerable and the last ordered to evacuate.
Level A includes coastal areas as well as mobile homes, manufactured homes and RVs.
Two emergency shelters are open:
- Electa Arcotte Lee Middle School, 4000 53rd Ave. W., Bradenton
- Buffalo Creek Middle School, 7320 69th St. E., Palmetto
Manatee County Government’s website is experiencing technical issues on Wednesday morning, but evacuation zones and other emergency information can be found at Extreme-Weather-Dashboard-ManateeGIS.hub.arcgis.com.
Residents may call 311 for further information on evacuation zones or emergency resources.
Manatee announces storm closures, cancellations
Manatee County has announced the following closures and service delays :
Manatee County’s public beaches and pools will close Tuesday night until further notice.
Parks and preserves will close on Wednesday evening until further notice.
All county facilities will be closed Thursday and government meetings will be postponed.
County trash pickup will be canceled Thursday with plans to resume pickups on Friday with a one-day delayed schedule.
The Lena Road Landfill will be closed Thursday.
Manatee County Area Transit fixed-route and trolley bus services will end at 8 p.m. Wednesday and are canceled on Thursday.
The Gulf Islands Ferry service is suspended through this weekend.
Other closings will be announced as needed as the storm moves closer, the county said.
Free sandbags available in Manatee County
Sandbags are available at the following locations:
- Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd., Bradenton
- Blackstone Park, 2112 14th Ave., Palmetto
- Buffalo Creek Park, 7550 69th St. E., Palmetto
- Daiken Dairy, 30771 Betts Road, Myakka City
- Dam Road, 1505 Dam Road, Bradenton (Manatee County EMS Station 5)
- Greenbrook Park, 6655 Greenbrook Blvd., Lakewood Ranch
- Lakewood Ranch Park, 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton
- Myakka Community Center, 10060 Wauchula Road, Myakka City
- Palmetto Youth Center, 501 17th St. W., Palmetto
- Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St. E., Palmetto
- Rye Preserve, 905 Rye Wilderness Trail, Parrish
- Stormwater Facility, 5511 39th St. E., Bradenton
Bradenton Public Works Annex, 1411 Ninth St. W. (City of Bradenton residents only; open from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday)
Palmetto Public Works Department, 601 17th St. W., Palmetto (City of Palmetto residents only; open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday)
Bayfront Park, 316 N Bay Blvd., Anna Maria (Open until 5 p.m. Tuesday and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday)
Watches and warnings
As of 11 a.m., the Bradenton area is under a storm surge warning.
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening surge from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 36 hours.
The region is also under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch.
Manatee schools closed
Manatee County school district officials announced that schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Hurricane Helene.
District officials also said they will cancel sports and after-school activities on those days.
Hurricane Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane early Thursday morning. It is expected to bring significant rain, winds and flooding to the Manatee County area.
The county is under a state of emergency as of Tuesday morning. County officials plan to use several schools as shelters.
District officials say a decision on whether schools will remain closed Friday will come at a later date.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 11:36 AM.
