Manatee begins recovery after Hurricane Debby’s downpour brings record rain, flooding
Manatee County was still reeling from Hurricane Debby on Monday after the storm drenched Southwest Florida with record rainfall, flooding and storm surge.
Wind threats and serious damage to structures were minimal. Instead, the story of the storm was lots and lots of water.
Emergency crews rescued families stranded by flooding and two county shelters took in evacuees.
Across the Bradenton area, roads were flooded and closed as Debby’s rain bands continued to swirl over Florida throughout the day.
Manatee County officials prepared for an emergency release of water from Lake Manatee to prevent the Lake Manatee Dam from overflowing.
Hurricane Debby brings record rain to Manatee
Debby passed Southwest Florida as a tropical storm more than 100 miles off the coast before rapidly intensifying into a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf late Sunday night.
Hazardous weather conditions continued in Manatee County overnight and into Monday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to extend alerts. A Tropical Storm Warning, Storm Surge Warning, Flood Warning and Tornado Watch were still in effect on Monday afternoon, and a Coastal Flood Advisory was issued until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Manatee County received a record of over 11 inches of daily rainfall on Sunday, according to readings at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
Manatee and Sarasota counties topped the region for rainfall during the storm, according to meteorologist Stephen Shiveley at the NWS’s Tampa Bay Forecast Office in Ruskin.
Many areas received over a foot of rainfall between 8 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Shiveley said the highest amounts recorded in Manatee were 16.6 inches in Lakewood Ranch and 14.6 inches in Parrish. Other totals included 11.9 inches in Bradenton and 12.4 inches in Sarasota.
The Manatee River reached a crest of 19.4 feet near the Rye Bridge on Monday afternoon, according to the NWS. The water level was expected to reach 19.8 feet by Monday evening.
If it does reach that level, it will break the record for the highest water level at the site since the Lake Manatee Dam was built, which was 19.7 feet in 2003, according to NWS records. Before the dam, the highest recorded level was 20 feet in 1962.
Manatee homes flooded
High water levels invaded neighborhoods and homes around Manatee County, prompting some to evacuate or call for rescue.
Jose Diaz, a rental property manager at USA Rentals, said he expected flooding when he went to check on his Rubonia property Monday morning after the storm.
As expected, standing water greeted Diaz at the house near 71st Street East and 17th Avenue Drive East.
Despite the storm bringing a record amount of rain, Diaz said Monday isn’t the most flooding he’s seen in the neighborhood.
“It gets even worse than this sometimes,” Diaz said. ”We’re right on the water, so I don’t think there’s anything you can do about the flooding.”
In Bradenton’s Villa Del Sol Mobile Home Park, Roger Huffman’s home was without power and surrounded by water. Floodwater inundated much of the neighborhood.
Huffman, too, said he is used to standing water in his neighborhood, which is also prone to flooding. In preparation for the storm, Huffman said he moved his car across the street and readied his generator.
Residents of the park were among the 32 adults, 12 children and 13 pets rescued from flooding, according to Manatee County.
There were more than 60 emergency road closures throughout Manatee County on Monday morning, and signs that said “road under water” were a common sight.
Cars struggled to get through deceptively deep water and sometimes became stuck in places like Whitfield Avenue and other local roads.
Another area covered in water on Monday was Cortez Village.
As high tide rolled in, water was more than ankle-deep throughout much of the historic fishing village.
One couple recalled how they were awoken in the night by a falling tree that hit a shed in their backyard but said they avoided other damage.
The majority of damage throughout Bradenton appeared to be due to flooding, although the Bradenton Police Department said there were some instances of fallen trees and branches as a result of the storm, including one large tree that fell on the front of a house on 22nd Street West.
Government offices closed, garbage delayed
Manatee County Government offices and facilities were closed Monday with the exception of the Supervisor of Elections Office, Clerk of Court’s Office, the Judicial Center and the Property Appraiser’s Office.
Bradenton government offices and City Hall were also closed on Monday.
The Lena Road Landfill was closed Monday, and trash pickups will be delayed by one day this week for Manatee County and Palmetto residents. Bradenton trash pickups scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will be delayed by one day.
Storm debris should be placed by the curbside for collection, the City of Bradenton said in a news release.
Coquina Beach and Manatee Beach are closed until further notice. MCAT fixed-route buses did not run on Monday.
Power outages
Over 4,000 Manatee County homes were without power on Monday morning in the aftermath of Hurricane Debby. By 3:45 p.m. Monday afternoon, the number had decreased to around 3,300 homes.
Florida Power & Light reported 2,790 customers without power, and Manatee County’s other electric provider, Peace River Electric Cooperative, reported 552.
“Crews are restoring power in between weather bands as conditions allow. Remember to stay far away from flooding, downed power lines and debris,” FPL said in a storm update.
Debby had a minimal impact on the Bradenton area’s power grid compared to other recent hurricanes.
Hurricane Idalia in August 2023 knocked out power to nearly 18,000 homes, and Hurricane Ian in September 2022 took over two-thirds of Manatee County’s electricity offline.
Flight delays, road closures
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport was open Monday, but delays and cancellations affected several airlines, including Delta, Southwest, United and American.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge remained closed Monday.
