Hermine caused flooding in Bradenton Beach streets as it moved northeast in the Gulf of Mexico, organizing from a tropical storm into a hurricane.
The National Weather Service issued multiple advisories for the area, including a 24-hour coastal flood advisory that started at 1 p.m. Sept. 1, high surf and rip current advisories that started at 10 p.m. Sept. 1 and a flood watch until 8 p.m. Sept. 2.
On Aug 31, Florida Gov. Rick Scott included Manatee and Sarasota with 49 other Florida counties under a state of emergency order.
By the time Hermine made landfall at the Big Bend area of northwest Florida as a hurricane early Sept. 2, the storm had doused Manatee County with 8.29 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
High tide reached more than 2.5 feet Sept. 1 as Hermine churned in the Gulf.
One boat sank Sept. 1 in Sarasota Bay near the Historic Bridge Street Pier and another broke loose, according to Bradenton Beach Police Lt. John Cosby.
“In general, we haven’t really had problems with boats,” Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale said Sept. 1. “I think people became aware when we had Tropical Storm Colin in June and now people are getting prepared early.”
Bradenton Beach closed the day dock at the pier Sept. 1 for public safety reasons.
“There is no damage to the dock, we just want to keep people off it for their own safety,” Speciale said.
Roads in Bradenton Beach continued to flood through Sept. 2, with First and Second streets north and areas of Avenue A drenched with rainfall.
As of Sept. 2, the BBPD had received no reports of flooding in homes.
Beach erosion impact is yet to be determined but was to be assessed by Cosby and building official Steve Gilbert.
