Manatee County Hurricane Idalia Brief

MANATEE COUNTY – Hurricane Idalia is headed toward Florida, and Manatee County residents and visitors alike are heeding the advice of local officials and evacuating in advance of the storm.

“It’s important to remember how unpredictable these storms can be,” said Manatee County Public Safety Deputy Director Steve Litschauer. “We need to stay vigilant as the conditions continue to deteriorate.”

Wind and rain will be a factor, he said, but the primary concern with this storm continues to be storm surge—with the worst of the weather anticipated to impact Manatee County late Tuesday into early Wednesday.

Everyone in Level A evacuation areas—and those living in mobile or manufactured homes or RVs—in Manatee County MUST evacuate in advance of this storm. There is a voluntary evacuation in effect for those living in Level B. You can find YOUR evacuation level at mymanatee.org/manateeready.

Residents rushing final preparations to completion may take advantage of several self-serve sandbag locations established by Manatee County, which will remain open as long as supplies last and conditions allow. Operations can be monitored at mymanatee.org/sandbags.

At 2 p.m.—or if conditions warrant earlier—Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) buses will suspend operations until further notice. There will be no yard waste or recycling collections on Tuesday, August 29, or Wednesday, August 30. Residents should monitor local media, the County's Website, and social media for updates. Manatee County Parks and Preserves will be closed until further notice. Manatee County Public Libraries will be closed until further notice. Manatee County Animal Welfare facilities will be closed until further notice. The Clerk's office plans to reopen Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Manatee County Emergency Management will host a news briefing at the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center (2101 47th Ter. E., Bradenton, FL 34203) this afternoon at 3 p.m. to provide timely updates on storm preparations and evacuation orders. This will be live-streamed on the Manatee County YouTube and Facebook pages at 3:00 p.m.