Manatee County residents urged to conserve water as area recovers from Hurricane Milton

Manatee County officials are urging residents to limit water use as Southwest Florida shifts to recovery after Hurricane Milton.

The Category 3 storm, which made landfall at Siesta Key just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with 120 mph winds, brought life-threatening storm surge, pounding winds and power outages to counties across the state.

READ MORE: Hurricane Milton battered Southwest Florida. What does the damage look like?

Residents, according to the county, should conserve water for essential uses, like drinking and sanitation by:

▪ limiting shower times

▪ not doing laundry

▪ postponing washing dishes

▪ avoiding pouring liquids down household drains

The county did not specify when regular water usage could resume.

This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 2:06 PM.

Grethel Aguila

Miami Herald

Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.