MANATEE COUNTY, FL (August 7, 2024) – Manatee County Government is offering help for residents recovering from the effects of Hurricane Debby.
From establishing points of distribution (PODs) for emergency supplies in hard-hit areas to opening a citizen-sourced survey for unmet needs, county staff is working diligently to ensure folks who need help can get it.
A point of POD operated by the Florida National Guard has opened at the Myakka Community Center (10060 Wauchula Road, Myakka City, 34251) with tarps, water, bleach and Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). Additional PODS are being readied in other areas of the county. Locations will be updated on social media as they are finalized.
The County has also set up a website for residents at mymanatee.org/debbyhelp for residents to relay unmet needs.
Residents and visitors were able to take advantage of the new mymanatee.org/storm website providing timely and vital storm-related information during Debby. More than 111,000 individual visitors were able to access the latest information through the site. The ever-evolving information portal has now shifted focus to provide recovery information: 4,137 calls have been answered by the expanded 3-1-1 call center since Debby storm activation on August 2, 2024.
Ongoing damage assessments have identified more than $12.5 million dollars in estimated residential damages and $60,000 in commercial damages so far. Those assessments are continuing and totals may rise.
Residents who have debris to remove should separate it from their regular trash. This will assist in damage assessment. Manatee County is actively preparing to address potential debris cleanup needs throughout the county. Currently, we anticipate activating our debris contractor to provide cleanup services as necessary. We are currently in the planning phase and will provide further details and updates as they become available.
For further updates and information, please monitor mymanatee.org/storm.