Bay Area beaches begin to reopen after Hurricane Milton

BRADENTON, Fla. – Rescue efforts continue in the Bay Area hurricanes helene And Miltonhowever, many beaches in the area are starting to reopen.

Manatee County Public Beach reopened earlier this week.

Officials say parking may be limited due to some sand and debris still being cleared. Many businesses have also reopened, including the Anna Maria Island Beach Café.

County officials say they hope to reopen Coquina Beach by the end of this week.

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Crews continue to rake the sand here to make it ready for visitors. Nearby parking areas are used for sand sifting to return clean sand directly to the beaches where it is washed. Officials say this on-site process is designed to save money, time and effort.

Cortez Beach sustained more damage and will take more time to reopen.

Beach access points are closed and there is still debris in the sand. Crews must remove tons of sand and debris and rebuild and repair infrastructure.

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County officials, including District Three Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker and Manatee County Deputy Parks and County Grounds Director Carmine DeMilio, will discuss the “accelerated timeline” for reopening the beaches at a news conference. Friday morning at 10:30.

Most beaches in the Sarasota area will reopen Saturday, with the exception of Lido Beach.

It has been closed since September 25. In order to reach the damaged pavilions and pavements, the teams removed sand mountains reaching 1.2 meters in height and then had to make repairs.

Hurricane Helene damaged the concession area and its public access points, including sidewalks and walkways. Hurricane Milton caused further damage to it. Officials say they expect Lido Beach to reopen soon.

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