Anna Maria Island escapes significant flooding from Hurricane Michael
UPDATE:
The city of Anna Maria Island emerged from high tide Wednesday afternoon largely unscathed, much to the relief of residents worried about significant flooding.
Mayor Dan Murphy said only three street intersections had to be pumped out, compared to at least 20 last year during Hurricane Irma or other heavy rain storms.
Murphy also said four of the remaining eight turtle nests on island beaches were lost to the storm
PREVIOUS STORY:
Anna Maria Island is normally prone to flooding during storms but mayor Dan Murphy said Wednesday morning that all of the streets were passable despite some minor flooding from Hurricane Michael.
As for wind damage, Murphy said the impact was minimal with just a few branches down in various spots. He added that high surf was visible throughout the morning but beach erosion was minimal, though high tide is not expected until later in the afternoon. The island was under a storm surge watch as 2-4 feet of surge was predicted to be a possibility.
"I think we have been very lucky and dodged a bullet with this storm," Murphy said.
Last year high winds and surf from Hurricane Irma destroyed the iconic Anna Maria Island City Pier, which was built in 1911, and it has yet to be replaced.
As a precaution, Anna Maria Elementary School canceled classes for Tuesday, and children on the island who attend other schools inland were not bused there.
One of the areas notorious for flooding in north Manatee County is Riverside Drive in Palmetto, which is along the Manatee River, but on Wednesday morning the water from the river had not gone over the retaining wall and the street was dry.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office suggested people who don't live or work on Anna Maria Island should stay away, because the beach conditions are "extremely dangerous, some roads are flooded, and water levels will likely rise."
More hurricane information
Share your stories, preparation tips and more by joining the Sarasota-Manatee Hurricane Info Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/hurricane.
Find all Herald-Tribune hurricane coverage at heraldtribune.com/hurricane.