Manatee County residents brace for hit from Hurricane Milton

BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — At the Warner Bayou Boat Ramp in Bradenton, the morning before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall, waters rose high around 3 a.m.

Rain poured down on the homeless and last-minute preppers heading to open gas stations in the dark hours of the morning.

Jessica Harold and her friend Taylor were able to beat the storm before 3 a.m.

“Snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, we tried to get gas earlier but we waited for like an hour earlier in line,” said local student Jessica Harold. “So at this time we were just going to my friend’s house we were like, wait, we’re not going to be able to leave tomorrow, let’s get food now.”

A lot of gas stations in Bradenton on Manatee Ave. were without gas on Wednesday morning.

Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for residents living in zones A, B, and C, and all mobile home residents or RV dwellers.

James Branon, an evacuation zone D resident, said he was hunkering down in his home for Milton, as he filled up his cooler at the boat ramp.

“Well, I neglected ice,” said Branon. “There are a couple little things that I neglected. Ice, bread, somehow I have no bread. But you know that’s not a big deal.”

It could become a big deal in the near-future. Branon said he would stop by the nearby gas stations to get some.

As the sun started to rise, the water began to recede at the Warner Bayou Boat Ramp. Max Defender 8 Meteorologists say low tide is expected at 1 p.m. in this area.

Several shelters are open for people who still need to evacuate, click here on the link to find the one nearest to you. You should have left already, but if you want to now do it as soon as possible.

MCAT transportation to shelters has been extended until noon on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Manatee County emergency leaders reported around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, they expected 15 feet of storm surge.

Several bridges have closed in the area.

Water has been shut off in the barrier islands.

If you’re in a flood zone, make sure your power is off, and electric vehicles are parked far away. Make sure you have a plan in place.

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