Manatee County Announces Government Closings

BRADENTON, FL — Manatee County has announced the closing of its government offices ahead of Tropical Storm Hermine’s arrival in the region. The county sent most of its employees home late Wednesday afternoon and says offices will not open on Thursday, Sept. 1. A land use meeting set for Thursday has also been postponed for a date yet to be announced.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re sending employees home and asking them to take necessary precautions for their families,” said County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.

Manatee County schools are also closed on Thursday.

The county’s Emergency Operations Center will open with a Level 2 partial activation Thursday at 7 a.m. The agency is closely monitoring the storm, the county said in an email to media.

Flooding, the email noted, has already begun in low-lying areas of the county.

Residents are asked to not call 911 for weather information as the storm approaches. The number to call for information is the County’s Citizens Information Center line at 941-748-4501. The number won’t be active until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

As of Wednesday at 2 p.m., Tropical Storm Hermine was located about 395 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving north at 2 mph.

On its present course, Hermine is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday afternoon before crossing the state and heading into the southern portion of Georgia and onto South Carolina. Forecasters warned in the 2 p.m. update the storm "could be near hurricane strength by the time landfall occurs."

See also: Tropical Storm Hermine Forms Off Florida's Gulf Coast; Could Reach 'Near-Hurricane' Strength

In advance of the storm, the National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for the Anclote River area to the Walton/Bay County line. A watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours in the watch area. A tropical storm warning has also been issued for the same area. A warning means conditions are expected to arrive within 36 hours.

A tropical storm watch was issued at 11 a.m. for Marineland, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, on the east coast.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office are warning Tampa Bay area residents to brace for severe weather over the next few days. In addition to heavy rain, tornadoes and storm surge also pose threats.

The entire Tampa Bay area is under a flood watch starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday and continuing through until Friday night. Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon and New Port Richey are among the communities included in the flood watch.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation in the Tampa Bay area, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

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