MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County wants residents to plan ahead this storm season and is increasing accessibility to a valuable resource.
There are now sandbag locations open around the county — and they will remain open every day until the end of hurricane season, Nov. 30.
During hurricane season, you can never be too prepared.
“We are getting some extra sandbags before a storm so we don’t have to do it in a rush,” Claire Rowell said.
Rowell and her son Buck filled up sandbags early this year at the Rye Preserve location in Parrish.
It’s part of Manatee County’s proactive approach to storm preparation — to make these sandbag sites available until hurricane season is over.
“I think it’s excellent. It’s been needed for a few years, but it is awesome. And I think they’ve really done a professional job. I think even the sandbags are a little bit higher quality this year, too,” she said.
When a county resident pulls up to one of the sites, they’ll find a container with bags inside and, of course, sand. The county says the only thing you need to bring is a shovel.
“We really have found sandbags, especially kind of around the doorways, to be effective, to keep water out,” Rowell explained.
She and her family have lived in Parrish for 13 years and can see the Manatee River from their backyard.
During Tropical Storm Debby, her home flooded.
“The water comes down along our easement to the front door,” Rowell said. “So even though the river is on the other side of the house, what actually ends up flooding is the door near the street and the road and the easement. So we’ve gotten very creative and we’ve added some French drains with some rocks so that it travels away from our door,” she said.
The sandbags are an extra precaution.
When and if a storm threatens later this year, she wants to make sure they have enough to seal their front door.
“As the water flows down, it just stays out of the house and it’ll move to the left and right and back down to the river,” she said.
The sandbag locations will be available until the end of storm season.
- Blackstone Park – 2112 14th Ave. W., Palmetto
- Myakka Community Center – 10060 Wauchula Rd., Myakka City
- Palma Sola Park – 7815 40th Ave. W., Bradenton
- Parrish Park Overflow Parking – 77550 Ft. Hamer Rd., Parrish
- Rubonia Community Center – 1309 72nd St. E., Palmetto
- Rye Preserve – 905 Rye Wilderness Trail, Parrish
- Manatee County Stormwater Facility – 5511 39th St. E., Bradenton
Julia Hazel
Source link