Sept. 27 Update: With the latest forecasts of Hurricane Ian showing what will be a significant impact along the Manatee County coastline, Manatee County Emergency Management officials expanded the mandatory evacuation order to include Level A and Level B.
Additionally, residents living in evacuation Level C are encouraged to find shelter further inland.
“This is worst-case scenario,” Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes said. “Those along the coast and (those) prone to flooding need to take this seriously and evacuate.”
As of noon Sept. 27, an additional two storm shelters will open in Manatee County. Buffalo Creek Middle School will open as a pet-friendly shelter, along with Haile Middle School.
Signs along Cortez Road and Manatee Avenue will begin instructing motorists that there is “no westbound access” to Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key beginning at 4 p.m.
Utilities crews will be shutting off the potable water service to the barrier islands by sunset Sept. 27 to help maintain the integrity of the infrastructure during Ian’s passage, according to a news release.
The county urged residents to bring their storm preparations to completion today.
Manatee County Area Transit will suspend all fixed routes as of 6 p.m. Sept. 27.
A news briefing is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the county emergency operations center in Bradenton.
— Lisa Neff
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Sept. 26 Update: With Ian intensifying, locals were readying for a major hurricane.
The National Weather Service Sept. 26 — as The Islander went to press — predicted Ian would build into a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico by mid-week and issued tropical storm and hurricane watches for Florida’s west coast.
“Regardless of Ian’s exact track and intensity, there is a risk of a life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of this week,” the NHC warned.
The Tampa Bay area was under hurricane and storm surge watches with Ian 90 miles west-southwest of Grand Cayman moving northwest at about 14 mph.
Florida’s hurricane watch stretched from Englewood to the Anclote River. A watch means conditions are possible within 48 hours; a warning means conditions are expected within 36 hours.
Some projections were for Ian to produce 5-8 feet of storm surge and 8-10 inches of rain in Manatee County, while the window for tropical-storm force winds is early Sept. 28-Sept. 30.
Federal, state and county authorities issued emergency declarations even before Ian developed into a hurricane.
Manatee County announced Sept. 26 a mandatory Zone A evacuation of the coastal communities and a voluntary Zone B evacuation, effective at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Anna Maria’s declaration, approved in an emergency meeting of commissioners Sept. 24, said “Ian poses a severe threat to the city of Anna Maria, particularly due to the current saturated state of the ground.”
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth signed an emergency declaration at 8 a.m. Sept. 26, issuing the notice along with a reminder to residents that reentry tags are available at the police department.
In Bradenton Beach, commissioners were set to meet at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 and were also expected to issue an emergency declaration.
As government agencies ramped up readiness, islanders got ready — filling gas tanks, trekking to ATMs and scouring grocery stores aisles.
The county and cities opened sandbag stations, including at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, Manatee Public Beach and city field in Holmes Beach and Bayfront Park in Anna Maria.
For emergency management updates, go to mymanatee.org and visit the “severe weather information center.”
For news updates, check islander.org and follow the newspaper on social media.
— Lisa Neff