ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Manatee County remains clear of Hurricane Dorian’s “cone of uncertainty” today, with lighter-than-normal Labor Day beach crowds, in part due to holiday plans that changed days ago when the forecast was less certain.
County emergency management officials de-escalated the Emergency Operations Center Saturday as forecasters predicted the category 4 storm would stay east of Florida and turn north.
Other than a slight breeze, there's no sign of Hurricane Dorian on Anna Maria Island tonight!
Posted by Anna Maria Island Sun on Monday, September 2, 2019
Tonight’s sunset shows no sign of Hurricane Dorian on Anna Maria Island.
But with change being the only thing certain about tropical weather, officials advise residents to continue to keep watch on the storm, which clocked 145-mph winds today after stalling over the Bahamas with up to 185-mph winds.
“It’s been an unpredictable storm and it could take a left turn just like it took a right turn, so our residents should continue to monitor the forecast by watching reliable news sources and following the county’s social media accounts,” Emergency Chief Steve Litschauer said.
A 10% chance of tropical-storm-force winds remains in Manatee County through Saturday, Sept. 7, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.
Officials canceled their plan to open shelters for those living in mobile and manufactured homes and RVs today, and announced that school and government operations are scheduled to continue normally on Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday. No changes are expected to the county’s holiday waste collection schedule.
Expectations of Dorian’s winds and rains curtailed Labor Day weekend crowds today on Anna Maria Island, where beachgoers experienced the typical summer mix of sun and rain.
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