BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — Bradenton Beach, after sustaining significant damage due to Hurricane Helene, is reopening to those who live and own businesses there.
A tweet from Manatee County Government says beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, Bradenton Beach residents, homeowners and business owners will be allowed to reenter the area. The purpose of the reopening is for people to assess the damage to property.
Residents looking to reenter the area will need to go to the checkpoint location at Cortez Road West and 127th Street West.
While people living on Bradenton Beach can reenter, it doesn't mean the area is open to everyone. Until officials give the word the city is fully reopened, everyone else should stay away.
Previously, area leaders said Bradenton Beach was between 90 to 95 percent destroyed. Last week's storm surge from Hurricane Helene devastated the whole stretch of beach and nearby buildings from Anna Maria Island down into parts of Sarasota County.
Earlier, 10 Tampa Bay got a first-hand look at some of the damage to the city of Bradenton Beach from the mayor who was also cleaning up his home which was among those damaged by the storm.
"The sand was unbelievable," Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said previously. "The beach and the sand dunes are on the streets, on the road, in our neighborhoods, in our houses."
The state's CERT team after their assessment determined that Hurricane Helene destroyed 90% to 95% of the City of Bradenton Beach.
"Bradenton Beach is considered by the cert team as a 'catastrophic area,'" according to the press release posted to the city's website.