Tropical Storm Warning Expires In Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Though Manatee County’s tropical storm warning has expired, the county is preparing for Tropical Storm Eta’s eventual turn back toward Florida later in the week, said Jacob Saur, the county’s public safety director, during a Monday morning press conference.

As of 10 a.m. on Monday, the county is no longer in tropical storm warning or watch areas as Tropical Storm Eta moves west into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is projected to shift north toward Florida after Tuesday, he said.

The storm will continue to bring wind, rain and storm surge to the area, though, with conditions worsening later this week, Saur said. The county’s barrier islands are most vulnerable to flooding.

"Eta is a wide storm that is going to meander out in the Gulf," he said. "As it slowly approaches landfall later this week, we could see localized flooding and strong wind gusts. As it makes its slow turn north to Florida, that messy (northeast) quadrant of the storm will impact our barrier islands and low-lying areas. Everyone should clear items from lawns, patios and lanais that could be blown away."

Saur and Emergency Management Chief Steve Litschauer will update the Manatee County Commission on the storm during its regular meeting on Tuesday. Saur said he will ask them to declare a local state of emergency at that time.

The county has no current plans to open public shelters or to distribute sandbags, though. Residents can find a list of sandbag distribution sites and their status online here.

Meanwhile, Holmes Beach residents can pick up sandbags at Holmes Beach City Hall, located at 5801 Marine Drive in Holmes Beach. Longboat Key Residents have access to sandbags at the Broadway Beach access site, located at 100 Broadway Street in Longboat Key.

For now, the public COVID-19 testing site at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, located at 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto, remains open and will only close when strong winds and rain arrive. In the event of a weather-related closure, the testing site manager says they will reopen as quickly as conditions allow.

County officials urge residents to prepare for the storm possibly hitting the area later in the week. Saur said Eta is “slow moving,” “unpredictable” and “messy,” adding that there’s still uncertainty about where it will hit next in Florida. Even if it hits north of Manatee County, it could still bring additional bad weather to the area, he said.

Litschauer added, "As always, you should have a disaster kit and a plan in place. Pick up loose items around the yard. Fill up with fuel in case we lose power."

Manatee County residents can find storm information and evacuation zones at www.mymanatee.org/information. Residents can also follow the county on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter @ManateeGov for updates.