Manatee County issues evacuation order ahead of Milton. Here’s how to check your zone

Manatee County officials have ordered mandatory evacuations for residents in levels A, B and C ahead of Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to slam Florida’s Gulf Coast as a major storm.

Officials have also urged residents and visitors in mobile homes and recreational vehicles to seek shelter.

“We do not issue evacuation orders lightly,” Jodie Fiske, the county’s public safety director, said in a statement. “Milton is anticipated to cause more storm surge than Helene. So, if you stayed during Helene, and got lucky, I would not press my luck with this particular system.”

The National Hurricane Center’s latest Milton tracker forecast shows the storm on a path to make landfall near Manatee County as a powerful Category 3 storm. The storm is expected to cause eight to 12 feet of storm surge in coastal areas, Fiske said.

The county will open eight general population shelters, including Mills Elementary School, Miller Elementary School, Myakka City Elementary School, Sugg Middle School, Harvey Elementary School, Gullett Elementary School, McNeal Elementary School and Jain Middle School.

Schools are built to withstand Category 5 storms, Fiske said.

Residents can head to shelters starting at 2 p.m. Monday. County buses will offer free rides to shelters starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday until winds are too high.

The county will also open a special needs shelter. Residents can register for transportation to the special needs shelter at MyManatee.org/needs.

Check your evacuation zone

Residents can check their evacuation level at MyManatee.org/storm.

This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 12:39 PM.