Hurricane Milton, packing sustained winds of up to 110 mph, caused damage throughout Bradenton Beach Oct. 9.
Milton added insult to injury across much of the island after a significant storm surge from Hurricane Helene Sept. 26 caused widespread flooding, leaving damaging or destroying homes, businesses and infrastructure.
Winds from Milton uprooted trees, damaged structures and disrupted power.
Evacuation orders were issued for all of coastal Manatee ahead of the storm and an estimated 147,000 countywide followed those orders, according to county public information officer Bill Logan. He said more than 11,000 evacuees utilized Manatee County shelters.
The city managed better than other areas, according to police Chief John Cosby, who has served for more than 30 years as emergency manager.
Cosby spoke to The Islander Oct. 10 about issues the city — already deemed 90%-95% destroyed in Helene — was facing in the immediate aftermath of Milton.
“We fared very well,” Cosby said. “We did not get the storm surge that we were told we were going to get since the eye went south of us.”
“Some of the debris from the debris piles did wash up over the roadway. We’re in the process of clearing that and just pushing it off to the side so that we can get our residents back and business owners as soon as possible,” he added.
Cosby also said little sand was pushed onto roadways.
He said the main challenge would be downed wires caused by the wind.
“We’re working with Florida Power and Light to confirm whether they are power lines or just communication lines,” Cosby said at the time. “It seems they are likely communication lines but we aren’t completely certain yet. I need them to obviously make that determination.”
Electricity, as of Oct. 14, power had returned in the city in a limited capacity.
Regarding structural damage, Cosby said, “We got a couple more houses that are leaning.”
The city has two trailer park communities — one on the north end and one in the commercial district — and they were hit the hardest high winds.
One resident of Pines Trailer Park just north of the Historic Bridge Street Pier said the park had been hard hit by flooding from Helene and then suffered wind damage from Milton.
Bradenton Beach resident Evelyn Stob, who lives in the city’s Azure Shores neighborhood, said Oct. 14 that she evacuated for Hurricane Helene and could not inhabit her home even before evacuation orders for Milton were mandated.
“I evacuated the day before Helene and returned by fishing charter boat, which graciously transported me to the island for tips,” Stob said. “It was devastating, opening the door and realizing the mess the surge left behind. Everything is saturated and moldy. Then Milton came and caused roof damage. It’s just heartbreaking for all of us.”
In the commercial district, Derek Williams, owner of the Drift In AMI and president of the Bridge Street Merchants Association, told The Islander, “Merchants have gotten together and we are working together to work with insurance companies, make our claims and get these businesses restarted. A few of the businesses are opening.”
However, as of Oct. 14 Bridge Street remained without power. So service was limited.
Cosby said emergency crews and state and federal aid personnel were working overtime to right the city but fatigue, with back to back hurricanes, was an issue for first responders and others.
“You know, it’s the linemen, everybody really, anybody who is working utilities or public safety, medical staff, the EOC people, everybody is just getting to that point,” Cosby said, referring to exhaustion. “You can keep going and keep going but at some point you need a break. It’s all first responders, we’re just tired. We just worked, a week and a half, 12 hours a day, no days off and we’re getting ready to do it again.”
FEMA representatives and Florida emergency response teams had been in the city prior to Milton to assess damage and aid in recovery since Hurricane Helene.
“This city is very resilient,” Cosby said. “There’s no reason why we can’t build it back better and stronger.”