Beaches, Most Parks Open In Manatee County After Hurricane Ian Cleanup

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — After more than a week of cleanup and repair efforts due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, Manatee County’s beaches are again open, county official said Friday. A majority of the county's preserves and parks are also open.

Anna Maria Bayfront Park, Manatee Beach, Palma Sola Causeway Park and Coquina Beaches were open as of noon Friday. All of Manatee County's preserves are open. Visitors can expect some isolated trail closures in the Duette and Rye Preserves due to high water and debris, a county news release said. Crews will continue to clear those trails through next week.

Most of the county’s parks have reopened, as well. Staff has trimmed and removed tons of debris from the facilities, but some piles may remain as the work continues.

Holmes Beach Tennis Courts will remain closed until fence repairs can be made. In addition, Blackstone Park, which is being used as a staging area for utilities crews, remains closed. Crane Park in Myakka City remains closed due to flooding, and the Myakka Community Park is being used as a relief staging area.

Preparations for the new Coquina Beach Market have also been affected by the storm. As crews have been deployed around the county to clean up and repair other parks properties, the site prep and rehab work to get the new site (further south on Coquina Beach) ready have been put on hold temporarily.

The official opening date has been delayed from the originally planned Nov. 1. Expect further word on market developments as they are finalized and confirmed.

For more information on Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. For information about Manatee County's Hurricane Ian recovery efforts, go to mymanatee.org/manateerecovers. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @manateegov