Live Updates: Sarasota Bradenton airport to remain closed until Wednesday after Milton

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The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has delayed its reopening until Wednesday, Oct. 16, after Hurricane Milton ravaged Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The airport was set to open for flights on Saturday, but announced a change to that plan Friday. SRQ officials said the entire roof over Concourse B, which covers a screening checkpoint and 13 aircraft loading gate holding rooms, was lost.

“The airport is working with recovery contractors to replace the 76,000-square-foot roof with a temporary roof until permanent repairs can be made,” SRQ said in a news release. The gate areas had water intrusion after the roof was damaged, while Hurricane Milton blew extensive roof debris onto the aircraft ramp, the release said.

Airport rental car counters located in the baggage claim opened Friday at 12 p.m. SRQ said onsite availability can be obtained from each rental car company.

The airport parking lots are open, while the airfield resumed operations for non-commercial flights at 12 p.m. Friday. However, there is no fuel availability, SRQ said.

- Jason Dill

PHOTOS: Take a look at how Bradenton Beach and other parts of Manatee fared after Milton

State rep says recovery will ‘take some time’

State Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, said the recent storm trifecta made for a rough couple of months for residents. After the rain brought by Hurricane Debby, the storm surge by Helene and now the wind by Milton, Robinson said recovery isn’t going to happen overnight.

“It almost feels like we have a new definition of normal. Here in Bradenton Beach, it’s going to take some time,” Robinson said.

Robinson acknowledged that the onslaught of storms and the resulting damage is taking a toll on residents.

“Some feel that they have no hope. Right now, some folks out there see a very dark future,” Robinson said.

But Robinson said he has also seen a lot that is encouraging about the future of Manatee County and residents’ pursuit to get that “light back.”

“There’s a lot of neighbors helping neighbors,” Robinson said.

Robinson also pointed to the amount of progress made with electricity restoration and the work done to remove sand from Gulf Drive following Helene’s storm surge.

“They’ve been chipping away at it,” Robinson said.

- Michael Moore

Food bank serving meals

With much of Manatee County in the dark after Hurricane Milton, Feeding Tampa Bay will help bring food to residents.

The food bank will serve ready-to-eat meals and water from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the Desoto Boys and Girls Club, 5236 30th St. W., Bradenton.

“It’s important to us to make sure our neighbors in Manatee are OK,” said Thomas Mantz, the CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure they have the resources they need.”

The county will also provide ready-to-eat meals, water and tarps until 8 p.m. Friday at Blackstone Park, 2112 14th Ave. W, Palmetto, GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton, and Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach.

Bradenton Beach reopens

Bradenton Beach re-opened for residents Friday.

Homeowners, business owners, those with insurance companies and city employees were allowed back on Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key starting at 8 a.m. Friday, according to Bradenton Beach Police.

The agency said residents will be allowed to come and go as they please, but a curfew will be in place for non-residents daily from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until Monday morning.

Bradenton Beach Police Department asked residents to bring their own water supply to the island when they return, though Manatee County officials said Friday that water service was being restored to Bradenton Beach.

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference at Bradenton Beach Friday afternoon amid a backdrop of beach houses devastated by the storm. As the governor gave the latest update on the response to Hurricane Milton, houses leaned from their crumbling foundations behind him — alongside glass from shattered windows, pieces of roof, refrigerators, washers and dryers and other personal items scattered across the sand.

DeSantis said he’d spent some of the morning surveying the damage in Manatee County and, although the area didn’t receive the amount of storm surge anticipated or as much as it saw during Helene, it appeared to have seen “a lot more wind damage.”

“It was not the worst-case scenario, but it did do damage,” DeSantis said. “And it also did damage to people who had just had to weather the effects of Helene two weeks ago, so we understand that that’s difficult and we’re going to do all we can to get people back on their feet.”

The governor said he’d just come from visiting A.P. Bell Fish Co. in Cortez, where he said they have “massive amounts of fish” in their freezer but no power. DeSantis said they were able to facilitate a generator to keep the fish good so the longtime company in the historic fishing village can sell the fish to hungry people recovering from the storm once they’re back up and running.

DeSantis said he understands fuel is a major concern for both Manatee County residents and people statewide impacted by the storm, but maintained that the state has adequate fuel. The primary issue, he said, is not enough gas stations have power. While DeSantis said the state is happy to send generators, he thinks that may not be necessary as more and more people in Manatee County regain power.

“We have every expectation that the restoration is going to be rapid,” DeSantis said, pointing to the percentage of people in Manatee County without power dropping to 60% Friday compared to the 80% reported Thursday after the storm.

DeSantis also said that, while he is proud of debris cleanup efforts ahead of Milton’s arrival, which he said resulted in around 50,000 cubic yards of debris pickup in 72 hours, he continues to urge local governments and contractors to have a sense of urgency when it comes to cleanup efforts.

“I don’t think debris ended up being projectiles that caused much additional damage like we feared,” DeSantis said. “We did get a lot of the debris out that was there, but I still just think you’ve got to get the debris.”

- Michael Moore

Rubonia reeling after back-to-back storms

Manatee County’s Rubonia community is praying for a reprieve after back-to-back storms wreaked havoc on the low-lying neighborhood along Terra Ceia Bay.

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene ushered in the worst flooding the historically Black community has ever seen, Hurricane Milton came through, ripping the roofs off of homes, downing trees and turning debris into dangerous projectiles.

“The wind was outrageous. You can tell by the downed trees, the poles and the people out of service,” said Webster Hayes, a Rubonia homeowner for over 50 years.

Jerry Putnam, a Rubonia resident for 20 years, said both storms were the worst he’s ever experienced.

“The flood got us the first time, and the second storm tore the roof off,” Hayes added, pointing to the plastic blue tarp secured to his roof with over a dozen sandbags.

For decades, Rubonia sounded the alarm about constant flooding. After pleading with county officials, community leaders were able to push through a project meant to provide sidewalks while improving drainage, but residents aren’t convinced that it made a difference.

“It sure didn’t help any,” Hayes said when asked about the drainage improvements.

The Bradenton Herald previously reported on the $4 million project to install sidewalks and better drainage systems .

But Charles Miller, a lifelong Rubonia resident, believes the county’s changes are making a positive impact.

“It took a long time for them to do it, but when the flood came, it was just too much to handle at one time. Any storm drain wouldn’t have handled it,” said Miller, one of the Rubonia advocates who supported the drainage improvements.

Miller, 74, sat in his driveway Friday afternoon, taking a break after assessing extensive damage to his property. Milton took the corner of his home’s roof off and flooded two of his rental properties in the neighborhood.

“I hope we don’t have nothing like this come through here again soon,” said Miller. “Now, I’m going through the healing process.”

Speaking with the Bradenton Herald, another neighbor said he’s tired of dealing with the healing process. Dylen White has lived in Rubonia for about 18 months, but Milton and Helene are giving him second thoughts.

“It just sucks. It makes me want to move, honestly,” White said. “I got really lucky, but it’s really scary to see all the water come up here.”

But in the wake of two incredible storms, some of Rubonia’s residents are already focused on coming back stronger than ever.

“We’ll survive and keep going,” Miller said. “That’s the only thing you can do, you know.”

- Ryan Callihan

Modified hours at Publix

Hours were modified at Publix locations throughout Manatee County on Friday after Hurricane Milton roared through the region.

To check a store, visit the grocery chain’s outage map .

According to Walmart’s outage tracker , the store at Lockwood Ridge and State Road 70 was the only location closed in Manatee County on Friday.

- Jason Dill

Milton breaks daily rainfall record

Hurricane Milton shattered a daily rainfall record for the Bradenton area.

The storm’s drenching rains produced 7.58 inches of rain at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on Wednesday, the National Weather Service of Tampa Bay said.

The previous record rainfall for Oct. 9 was 2.2 inches, set in 1953.

The NWS has tracked rainfall amounts for the Bradenton area since 1911.

Milton produced several record-breaking rainfalls across Southwest Florida and the Tampa Bay area, including an all-time daily record of 18.54 inches in St. Petersburg. That broke St. Petersburg’s previous record of 15.45 inches set on Aug. 2, 1915, the NWS said.

- Ryan Ballogg

DeSantis holds press conference in Bradenton Beach

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Bradenton Beach Friday afternoon.

The press conference came less than two days after Hurricane Milton tore through Manatee County as a powerful Category 3 storm.

The beach houses on Bradenton Beach were severely impacted and Anna Marie Island, the popular vacation spot, is closed until Saturday morning, Holmes Beach Police said Friday.

DeSantis previously visited Anna Maria Island in September after Hurricane Helene caused devastating damage on the popular tourist island along the Gulf of Mexico.

DeSantis was joined by Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. John D. Haas.

- Ryan Callihan

Restaurants start to reopen

First Watch plans to open two of its Manatee County restaurants at 12 p.m. on Friday as the area begins to recover from Hurricane Milton.

The locations opening Friday are at 7118 Cortez Road West, Bradenton, and 8306 Market St., Lakewood Ranch.

First Watch is also planning to open two more locations Saturday. They are at 14475 State Road 70 E., Bradenton and 8383 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Both are slated to open at 8 a.m.

A First Watch spokesperson said other restaurants in the area are expected to open after power is restored.

“So if we’re able to open, and we have food, and we’re able to do so we’re happy to be serving the community right now, but many of our restaurants are still without power,” First Watch spokesperson Jenni Glester said.

The Barnyard is also opening Friday at 12 p.m.

The restaurant, with its signature Barnyard Betty gourmet chicken sandwich, is located in Gloryway Plaza shopping center, 624 Martin Luther King Ave. W., also known as Ninth Avenue West.

They’re open until food is sold out, according to a social media post.

The Sage Biscuit Cafe, a breakfast and lunch restaurant at 1401 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, is open Friday, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Modern Chop Steakhouse, 1830 59th St. W. opens Friday at 4 p.m.

Restaurants that opened Thursday include Ed’s Tavern, 10719 Rodeo Dr., Lakewood Ranch; McGrath’s Kitchen & Cocktails, 8110 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch; and Danny’s Pizzeria, 7220 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton. Danny’s Pizzeria is only taking cash and the phone lines remain down, according to a Facebook post.

Bradentrucky, a food truck, announced they’re serving free meals on Friday. “Most of Bradenton is without power, but we’ve got you covered for a free hot meal,” they said in a Facebook post. “That’s right, FREE!! We’ll be on Cortez road just before the bridge to the island.”

- Jason Dill

Anna Maria Island remains closed

Anna Maria Island is still closed and cannot be accessed, Holmes Beach Police said Friday.

The popular island is expected to open Saturday morning, police said.

Manatee County officials announced Friday morning that water service is being restored to Anna Maria Island and parts of Longboat Key with a precautionary boil water advisory in effect for the cities.

“Please boil all water for drinking, cooking, and brushing your teeth until further notice,” the announcement said.

- Jason Dill

Some Detwiler’s markets reopening

Detwiler’s Farm Market announced Thursday night that the grocery store’s Palmetto, University and West Bradenton locations would reopen Friday at 10 a.m.

On social media, Detwiler’s officials said they would “keep everyone updated on our other locations and hope to resume normal business hours as soon as possible.”

-Jason Dill and Aaron Leibowitz

Over 60 percent without power

It’s been over a day since Hurricane Milton slammed into the Gulf Coast, wreaking havoc throughout the state, and over 60% of Manatee County is still without power.

As of 7 a.m. Friday, more than 155,000 power company customers in Manatee County were experiencing outages, according to Find Energy. In Sarasota County, nearly 140,000 customers were without power Friday morning, or about 46 percent of the county.

But that’s progress — around 80 percent of Manatee was without power Thursday morning.

- Milena Malaver

READ MORE: 60% without power in Manatee County as recovery efforts from Hurricane Milton continue

Better weather ahead for Manatee County

After a deluge of wind and rain pounded the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Milton, Manatee County residents will get some reprieve this weekend with better weather.

In Bradenton, Friday will be mostly sunny with wind gusts as high as 25 mph, but that is expected to slow down during the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be slightly cloudy but with wind gusts of 18 mph, according to the National Weather Service Bradenton forecast.

The county is no longer under a flood watch, but the NWS warns of high-risk rip currents through Saturday morning.

- Milena Malaver

READ MORE: What’s next for Manatee County’s weather after Hurricane Milton’s deluge?

Older Gulf Coast neighborhoods reeling

The wallop of back-to-back storms has taken a tremendous toll on some of the oldest Gulf Coast neighborhoods.

In East Bradenton along the Manatee River, Milton piled more destruction onto what Helene brought. Warped drywall, furniture and household belongings from Helene’s floods were still piled in front of many homes as the second hurricane in as many weeks approached.

Milton added to the chaos, sending trees crashing into homes and power lines. Trees that stood for decades lay across neighborhood streets, blocking them entirely.

On Thursday afternoon, homeowners worked to clear what Hurricane Milton left behind.

Residents who spoke with the Bradenton Herald shared stories about how the intense hurricane affected their homes. Some houses near the Manatee River were spared the invasion of storm surge and flood water. Others weren’t so lucky.

Amanda Birard, who has lived in the neighborhood for about three years, said a few inches of water got into her house, but she was relieved that Bradenton avoided the steep surge predictions of 10 to 15 feet that were forecast at one point.

A neighbor who was helping her clean up her yard agreed. “I prefer the winds and debris to the surge.”

Birard said she has mixed feelings about staying in the neighborhood after the double whammy.

“If we keep having surge warnings like for this one, I don’t know,” Birard said. “I’ve already looked at Zillow.”

- Ryan Ballogg, Ryan Callihan and Michael Moore

READ MORE: Back-to-back hurricanes take toll on Gulf Coast neighborhoods. ‘I’ve looked at Zillow’