MANATEE COUNTY – County Commissioners are expected to declare a local state of emergency tomorrow during an 8 a.m. meeting to discuss the latest on Hurricane Irma.
During the meeting, Public Safety Director Bob Smith will ask commissioners to join other south Florida counties in declaring a local state of emergency.
The local declaration is the first step local officials must take before opening hurricane shelters or ordering evacuation notices, according to Manatee County Emergency Management Chief Sherilyn Burris. There are no plans yet for an evacuation or shelter openings, but Burris said residents should monitor the news and the county’s social media pages for updates. Follow Manatee County on Facebook and on Twitter, @ManateeGov. Follow Manatee County Emergency Management and on Twitter @MCGPublicSafety.
Manatee County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 2101 47th Terrace E., Bradenton is at partial activation today but will be fully activated tomorrow.
Public Safety officials also reminded Manatee County residents to call the Citizens Information Center at (941) 749-3547 with questions or to report issues related to Hurricane Irma. 911 should only be used in emergencies.
