Manatee County Issues Evacuation Orders

BRADENTON – Following the updated forecast of Hurricane Ian, Manatee County public safety officials have announced a mandatory Zone A evacuation and voluntary Zone B evacuation, effective 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Check your evacuation zone here.

All School District of Manatee County schools and after-school activities will be closed starting Tuesday. The duration of school closings is not known at this time and will be dependent on the movement and impact of the storm. Tuesday's scheduled school board meeting has been canceled.

Working in collaboration with Manatee County Emergency Management, the district will be opening up the following 15 schools as shelters and begin accepting evacuees at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning (those with special needs MUST register in advance here).

• Nolan Middle School (Special Needs)
• Braden River High School (Pet Friendly)
• Manatee High School (Pet Friendly)
• Mills Elementary School (Pet Friendly)
• Bayshore Elementary School
• Freedom Elementary School
• Gullett Elementary School
• Harvey Elementary School
• Lee Middle School
• Myakka Elementary School
• Miller Elementary School
• McNeal Elementary School
• Rogers Gardens Elementary School
• Williams Elementary School
• Willis Elementary School

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said that the county intends to conduct the Manatee County Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning and close the county administration building immediately following its adjournment.

"We’re expecting sustained tropical or hurricane winds to our barrier islands and coastal communities for as long as 48 hours, with the earliest arrival predicted for 8 p.m. Tuesday,“ said Hopes. "This is a worst-case scenario with a very strong slow-moving storm just to the west of us."

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells urged residents in evacuation zones to evacuate well ahead of the storm.

"When winds hit a sustained speed of 45 miles per hour, it's going to be very difficult for deputies to remain out on the roads and try to help people through that crucial time," said Wells. "We're gonna try and get to you, but the bottom line is we just might not be able to get to your location. So we are really begging you to evacuate once you have the order. Find a safe location for you and your family and allow the deputies to take care of the other needs we have throughout the county. I really can't stress to you how important that is.

At the close of business Monday, September 27, Manatee County Parks and Preserves will be closed until further notice.

Manatee County Public Libraries will be closed Tuesday, September 27, until further notice.

Manatee County Animal Welfare facilities will be closed Tuesday, September 27, until further notice.

Building and Construction inspection services will be suspended Tuesday, September 27, until further notice.

Normal operations and duties will be suspended for county employees to be reassigned during the emergency.

Manatee County Public Works and Property Management Departments will be providing sandbags (limit 10 per household) at numerous locations around Manatee County. Each site will be open at 8 a.m. and will continue to operate as long as the weather permits. Residents should plan to show an ID or Manatee County Utilities Department water bill indicating they are a resident of Manatee County. Visit mymanatee.org/sandbags for more information.

All Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) fixed-route Bus and Trolley service will be suspended Tuesday afternoon (once winds reach tropical-storm force). MCAT Handy Bus service on Monday and Tuesday will be restricted to riders traveling to and from dialysis and chemotherapy appointments only.

The Lena Road Landfill will be open for extended hours until 6 p.m. on both Monday and Tuesday to accommodate the haulers and any residents wishing to bring their refuse for disposal.

If any materials are not collected by sunset on Tuesday, residents should remove them from the curb and safely secure them so there isn’t a potential of them becoming projectiles.

Due to the probability of tropical-force winds on Wednesday, there will be no yard waste or recycling collection that day. Residents should monitor local media, the County's Website and social media for updates.

Manatee County’s 311 call center will be open and fully staffed 24/7 beginning Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. to field calls from the public about sandbag locations, storm preparedness, and more.