Authorities say Anna Maria Island took the brunt of the damage in the county, and could potentially remain closed to non-residents through the weekend.
“The beaches have been dramatically affected by unprecedented storm surge from 5 to 7 feet along the coast,” said Manatee County Commission Chairman Mike Rahn.
The National Hurricane Center’s late Thursday alert found Hurricane Helene crossing the north Florida coast near Perry with catastrophic storm surge and life-threatening sustained winds of 140 mph and higher gusts. The storm’s center was about 40 miles southeast of Tallahassee and moving forward at a rapid 24 mph
Forecasters said the storm should turn north, then northwest overnight, taking the center over Georgia, slowing down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday. The storm should wean over land, but winds will still be damaging over the Southeast U.S.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 310 miles. A NOAA National Ocean Service tide gauge located on Cedar Keyrecently reported a water level of 7.33 feet above mean higher high water.
Online reports said the storm surge set records in Tampa Bay, and flooding was occurring on Sarasota County’s barrier islands and downtown Sarasota.
30 p.m.: Helen now Cat 4, Manatee, Sarasota seeing more surge, feeling more wind
Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds, located 110 miles west of Tampa, and moving north by northeast at 23 mph, according to the latest update from the National Weather Service in Ruskin.
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