Ian Was Powerful But Manatee County And Our State Will Prevail

Manatee County has felt the impacts from Hurricane Ian over the past week. The citizens of Manatee began preparing for Ian last weekend. Driving through neighborhoods I could observe windows being boarded up and outdoor furniture being secured inside homes. 

Store shelves were emptied of water and other storm supplies. We all waited anxiously as Ian decided which path to take. Manatee County was hardest hit in the eastern half where the slow marching storm dumped so much water onto already soggy ground and the result was massive flooding. So many homes in eastern Manatee County were inundated with 2 to 3 feet of water. The cleanup from this event will take these fellow citizens many months. 

The western half of Manatee County experienced many power outages and debris from downed trees and tree limbs. 

Once Ian had ambled towards Florida’s Treasure Coast, Manateeans began the task of cleaning up their yards and neighborhoods. One gets a measure of a community by its response to a disaster. It was uplifting to see so many people out in their yards performing manual labor. James Basford once said “Honest labor dispels melancholy.” Many had experienced hours of worry as the storm approached. The physical toil afterwards of cleaning up was good for the community psyche. 

There is something about sweating in the yard that shows we can handle life’s problems and we don’t need to wait for others to clean up our messes. Geoffrey Norman said “activity is good, almost without reservation, for the body and soul.” He also said “a lot of what passes for depression these days is nothing more than a body saying that it needs work.” 

The pride our community took in cleaning up after the storm speaks well of our citizens. We realized how fortunate we were when Ian took the right turn below us. Over and over studies show that communities that take pride in their neighborhoods are special places to live. Kudos to all of you that went to work to keep our community clean.

A special shout out to those of you who have begun assisting our fellow Floridians to the south who will need our help over the next year. 

I had a chance to speak to County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh after she had spent a day cleaning up her yard. I asked her what she had experienced this past week. 

She told me she was very impressed with how well the different governmental bodies and agencies came together and worked countless hours to prepare the citizens of Manatee County for the approaching storm. Baugh said “I witnessed so many staff members at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) working tirelessly to protect the public.” Baugh noted that one employee had worked 48 hours straight without sleep. “It was heartwarming to see the effort expended by so many to protect the citizens of Manatee County. 

Baugh was also pleased that the public took the storm warnings seriously. She also noted that the public came together to help the needy during this traumatic time. 

Baugh was also impressed with the tireless efforts of County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “He worked so hard to make sure all the bases were covered for our community’s protection. 

It was a very interesting week for our community and state. Our prayers and support must go out for those fellow citizens to our south.