Sarasota and Manatee begin long recovery from Hurricane Helene

Staff report
| Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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What we know on Saturday:

Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said Saturday afternoon that plans to gradually reopen the island had been stalled by the discovery of gas leaks.

“We just discovered less than an hour ago that we have several gas leaks in the north end and have determined that we need to secure them before we do anything to open up the island” , Dezzi said.

Longboat Key officials are working with a local gas company to isolate the areas. If officials are able to ensure it is safe to return to the island, Dezzi said they will continue with the original plan: allowing city employees, business owners, property owners and HOAs to return by Saturday.

In the meantime, the Longboat Police Department has closed access to Longboat Key from the north and south. Local officials are working with the Florida Department of Transportation to clear roads. Dezzi urged residents to exercise caution and patience before returning to the island, as it will only be accessible from the south when it reopens.

“We’re not going to be able to go through Bradenton Beach and get to Longboat Key,” Dezzi said. We can only use the south end of Longboat. »

After surveying the damage caused by Hurricane Helene during water restoration Saturday, Manatee County Utilities issued a boil water advisory to Anna Maria Island residents for drinking water only.

This advisory does not mean that the water is contaminated but rather that it could be. Because water quality is unknown, customers should assume the water is not safe to drink and take appropriate precautions. Issuance of the notice, in these circumstances, is required by the Florida Department of Health.

Bottled water is available at a distribution site at GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West in Bradenton, daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a map of this location and other information regarding the storm, please visit mymanatee.org/storm.

Sarasota County officials said that as of Saturday morning, state and local authorities had evacuated 33 people from the barrier islands.

Utility personnel are still working to restore water to affected areas. The county said it is connecting generators to lift stations to restore portable water service. The county also advised Casey and Siesta Key residents to boil all tap water intended for drinking, food preparation, washing utensils or first aid.

“To disinfect your water and destroy any harmful microorganisms, please bring your water to a boil for one minute. Bottled water can be used as an alternative to boiling tap water,” a county release states.

Residents will be notified by an automated call from Sarasota County when the boil water advisory is over.

Sarasota County distribution locations are open, according to a news release. There are four supply sites in Sarasota County for community members impacted by Hurricane Helene. The following locations will be open today, Saturday, September 28 to Monday, September 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or while supplies last:

1000 Glebe Lane, Siesta Key100 S Casey Key Road, Nokomis326 Nokomis Ave S., Venice8570 Manasota Key Road, Englewood

Find the location closest to you: scgov.net/pods.

Supplies available include water, ice, sports drinks, tarps, flood buckets, non-perishable foods, and meals ready to eat (MRE).

Preliminary damage assessments are continuing and as of Saturday morning, Sarasota County officials said there was approximately $49 million in residential damage in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County. But this figure will certainly increase because it does not cover inaccessible areas.

Sarasota County reported that power was restored Saturday morning to 30 of 38 lift stations on Siesta Key. Once power is restored to all lift stations, utility personnel will be deployed to restore drinking water service to that area.

Workers are prepared to deploy to Casey Key to restore services as soon as the area is safe to access.

The county also said Florida Power & Light crews were working to restore power across the state. FPL’s estimated time frame for 95% of power to be restored by the end of Sunday, September 29. Visit FPL at fpl.com for more information.

Initial assessments from Manatee County show 230,471 structures were affected by wind or storm surge during Hurricane Helene. Residential damage is estimated at $153.1 million and commercial damage is estimated at $1.97 million.

Residents of Holmes Beach and the Town of Anna Maria Island are returning Saturday to begin cleanup, but roads leading to the Town of Bradenton Beach are still impassable and will be blocked. Electricity and water have not been restored.

Officials are asking residents to be wary of scams and unlicensed or uninsured contractors. The county is also working with two contracted trash haulers to coordinate debris removal, although no timeline has been set. Work is expected to begin next week. Authorities are asking residents to separate debris from daily trash.

Distribution points to help residents with ready-to-eat meals, water and tarps have been established at Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd., Bradenton; Blackston Park at 2112 14th Ave. W., Palmetto; and GT Bray Park at 5502 33rd Avenue Drive, Bradenton.

The Manatee County Transit System will have modified service routes and there will be no beach carts. Athletic league games returned to their regular schedule across the county and libraries reopened, except those at AMI. All other facilities in Manatee County will fully reopen Monday unless affected by the storm.

This article has been updated with new information.

The Holmes Beach Police Department announced this morning that property and business owners from Holmes Beach and the Town of Anna Maria will be allowed to return to the island to assess the damage and begin cleanup. The start of the school year begins at 10 a.m. and you must have a re-entry sticker.

“You can only access the island via Manatee Ave,” the ad states. “Roads in Bradenton Beach are still impassable. There will be barricades at the Holmes Beach/Bradenton Beach boundary so no one can enter Bradenton Beach through Holmes Beach.”

Earlier today, the Sarasota Police Department announced that the John Ringling Causeway is now open to residents and business owners on Bird Key, St. Armands Key and Lido Key. You must have a valid ID or proof of ownership.

SPD had initially included Longboat Key in the list of openings, but that was put on hold after consultation with the Town of Longboat Key.

The Town of Longboat Key later announced that “#LongboatKey remains closed. Access is limited ONLY to Town emergency responders and our damage assessment teams. As soon as Level 2 is granted, we will send notification via Alert Longboat Key, longboatkey.org, electronic notification and social media.

The National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on Hurricane Helene Saturday morning, saying the center of what remains of the storm system was about 50 miles northwest of Nashville and that it would slowly “slow down” and would dissipate over the Tennessee Valley after leaving a trail of destruction. from the southern tip of Florida to Kentucky.

The system was still suffering from sustained winds of 15 mph. and several flood warnings and advisories remain in effect for parts of the southern and central Appalachians through Saturday.