Helene Recovery Moves into October

MANATEE COUNTY — Manatee County is working hard to get back to normal and assess the needs of our neighbors who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. 
 
First, any reports that the beaches are open to tourists are incorrect. `
 
The barrier island communities of Manatee County are an active recovery area, and we are not encouraging anyone to venture there. Please do not be a disaster tourist. Crews are working hard to help people recover.
 
At present, our Community Connections team and staff from Community and Veterans Services are leading a volunteer group into hard hit neighborhoods to help conduct human needs and damage assessments.
The assessments are scheduled to continue tomorrow and Thursday. Volunteers can sign up at  mymanatee.org/helenevolunteer.
 
If you have been impacted and need basic services, cooling stations have been established at GT Park, and Points of Distribution (POD) are providing necessities like water, MREs, and tarps. A complete list of locations is available at mymanatee.org/distribution.

Now is the time to get in touch with FEMA to start the recovery process. There are three ways to do this: visit disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app, or call 1-800-621-3362. A Disaster Recovery Center is also open at the Lakewood Ranch Library 9 AM to 7PM.

Today, MCR Health is at the Rubonia Community Center from through 4 PM to provide medical visits, medication and prescription refills, mental health services, and referral services. In the coming days, they will be making visits across the county. For a complete list, check out mymanatee.org/storm and click on the “recovery” tab.
 
Debris pickup started yesterday in Rubonia and other impacted areas. Passes will be occurring through the county to remove debris over the next several days. Debris separation instructions can be found under the “debris” tab at mymanatee.org/storm. For do-it-yourselfers, tipping fees have been waived at the Lena Road Landfill. This service is offered to Manatee County residents only, and you will need to provide ID.

Thanks again for your help and understanding. Continue to monitor local news and weather broadcasts as well as the County's social media accounts for updates. Official storm information from Manatee County at is always updated at mymanatee.org/storm.