Sarasota and Manatee begin a long recovery from Hurricane Helene

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What we know on Saturday:

Longboat Key’s reopening delayed due to discovery of gas leaks

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

“We just found out less than an hour ago that we have multiple gas leaks in the north end and we determined that we need to secure those before we do anything to develop the island,” Dezzi said.

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

Meanwhile, Longboat police have 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 when returning to the island as it will only be accessible via the south once it reopens.

“We won’t be able to get to Longboat Key via Bradenton Beach,” Dezzi said. We can only use the south end of Longboat.”

Anna Maria Island Drinking Water Boil Notice

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

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

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

4:30: More than 30 people evacuated from barrier islands, Sarasota County says; Boil water notice for Siesta Key and Casey Key residents

Sarasota County officials said state and local authorities evacuated 33 people from the barrier islands Saturday morning.

Public utility workers are still working to restore water service to affected areas. The county said it is connecting generators to lift stations to restore portable water supplies. 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 harmful microorganisms, please bring your water to a boil for one minute. Bottled water can also be used as an alternative to boiling tap water,” the district said in a statement.

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

4 p.m.: Sarasota County is offering ice, drinks, tarps and more at food stations

Sarasota County distribution locations are open, according to a news release. There are four care locations in Sarasota County for community members affected by Hurricane Helene. The following locations are open today, Saturday, September 28th through Monday, September 30th from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 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 nearest you: scgov.net/pods.

Available supplies include water, ice, sports drinks, tarps, flood buckets, non-perishable foods and ready-to-eat meals (MREs).

Sarasota County issues a preliminary estimate of $49 million in residential damage from Helene; The number is expected to increase

Preliminary damage assessments are ongoing and as of Saturday morning, Sarasota County officials said there was an estimated $49 million in residential damage in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County. But the number is sure to increase because inaccessible areas have not been recorded.

12 p.m.: Sarasota County reports progress in restoring power to wastewater lift stations on Siesta Key

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

Workers are ready to deploy to Casey Key to restore services as soon as the area is safely accessible.

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

10:15 a.m.: Damage in Manatee County is estimated at approximately $155 million

Initial estimates 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 efforts, but roads to the town of Bradenton Beach are still impassable and blocked. Electricity and water were not restored.

Authorities are asking residents to be wary of scams and unlicensed or uninsured contractors. The county is also working with two trash hauling contractors to coordinate trash removal, but no timeline has been set. Work is expected to begin next week. Officials ask residents to separate garbage from household waste.

Distribution points have been set up at Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd., Bradenton, to provide prepared meals, water and tarps to residents. Blackston Park, 2112 14th Ave. W., Palmetto; and GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Avenue Drive, Bradenton.

The Manatee County Area Transit system will use modified routes for service and there will be no beach cart. Sports league play has returned to its regular schedule statewide and libraries have reopened, with the exception of those on AMI. All other facilities in Manatee County will fully reopen Monday unless affected by the storm.

9 a.m.: Residents are permitted to return to Anna Maria Island, Lido Key, St. Armands

This post has been updated with new information.

Holmes Beach Police announced this morning that property owners and business owners in Holmes Beach and the Town of Anna Maria will be allowed to return to the island to assess the damage and begin cleanup efforts. Re-entry begins at 10 a.m. and you must have a re-entry tag.

“You can only access the island via Manatee Ave,” the announcement said. “The roads in Bradenton Beach are still impassable. There will be barricades at the Holmes Beach/Bradenton Beach town line so no one can get to Bradenton Beach via Holmes Beach.”

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

SPD had originally added Longboat Key to the vacancies list, but that was put on hold after consultation with the City of Longboat Key.

The City of Longboat Key later announced that “#LongboatKey remains closed. Access is restricted ONLY to City emergency responders and our damage assessment teams. Once Level 2 is granted, we will send notification via Alert Longboat Key, longboatkey.org, e-notification and social media.”

Longboat Key’s reopening delayed due to discovery of gas leaks

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