Manatee County Declares Local State of Emergency

BRADENTON, FL — With Hurricane Matthew projected to arrive near Florida as a Category 4 storm over the next day, Manatee County officials are taking no chances. The county announced it had declared a local state of emergency Thursday morning.

The county is under a tropical storm watch, which means tropical storm conditions could arrive in the area over the next day or so. At present, forecasters anticipate the area will witness winds of 45 mph or greater as Matthew passes the state.

“No mandatory evacuation orders are being issued at this time, but because of the storm's potential impacts, Emergency Management officials have recommended that manufactured and mobile home residents who are most vulnerable to find shelter from the storm,” an email from the county said.

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Those who live in mobile or manufactured homes are asked to:

• Evacuate to a friend or relative’s house
• Evacuate as soon as possible
• Evacuate to a hotel or motel
• Evacuate to a public shelter

The county has announced the following locations will open to serve as public shelters at 4 p.m. Oct. 6:

• Manatee High School, 902 33rd St. C. W., Bradenton (pet friendly)
• Virgil Mills Elementary School, 7200 69th St. E., Palmetto (pet friendly)
• Myakka Elementary, 37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City

The county has also opened a special needs shelter for those who have registered via the county's special needs registry.

Manatee County Area Transit Handy Bus riders should expect early pickups Thursday, the county warned. The Handy Bus will only be available for essential medical service on Friday. Fixed MCAT routes will operate as normal Thursday and Friday. MCAT status could change Friday if tropical storm winds do impact the area.

Sandbags are also being offered at the following locations through 6 p.m. Oct. 6:

• Buffalo Creek Park, 7550 69th St. E., Palmetto
• G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave Dr. W., Bradenton
• Lakewood Ranch Park, 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton
• Stormwater Ops, 5511 39th St. E., Bradenton
• Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St. E., Palmetto

Manatee County residents with questions about local conditions may call the Manatee Citizens Information Center at 941-748-4501.

As of the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Oct. 6 update, Hurricane Matthew was positioned about 30 miles south-southwest of Nassau, Bahamas. The system was moving northwest at 12 mph.

“Additional strengthening is expected today, and Matthew is forecast to be a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches the east coast of Florida,” the hurricane center’s report said. Hurricane-force winds extended out up to 40 miles Thursday morning. Tropical-storm force winds extended out 160 miles, forecasters said.

Image via the National Weather Service’s Facebook page