Manatee County schools prepared for the next storm

East County’s Elaine Johnston and her husband, Charles, had their inflatable mattresses, sweaters, blankets and snacks ready to go at Freedom Elementary School.

The couple had evacuated to Freedom Elementary, which was one of four School District of Manatee County schools that opened as a shelter during Hurricane Idalia. They were concerned with storm surge that would affect the Manatee River. 

Although Hurricane Idalia was projected to make landfall farther north, and wasn’t expected to have a huge impact on Manatee County, the Johnstons weren’t taking any chances. 

“We weren’t as ready as we usually are, but at least we were partially ready (to evacuate),” Elaine Johnston said. “We weren’t worried about the wind, but we were worried about the water.”

Like many other Manatee County residents, the Johnstons used Hurricane Idalia as a test run to prepare for future storms.

Photo by Liz Ramos

Schools transform into shelters

Schools are the only facilities in Manatee County that serve as shelters during a hurricane. R. Dan Nolan Middle School is the designated shelter for individuals with special needs, and 25 other schools serve as regular shelters. 

The school district works closely with Manatee County’s Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management to determine which schools will open as shelters. The schools are chosen based on community needs and locations as the storm approaches.

When Hurricane Ian was approaching last September, county officials were expecting the storm to have a direct impact on Manatee County. As a result, 15 schools were initially opened as shelters as the county issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents living in Zones A, B and C. Freedom Elementary School hosted about 1,500 evacuees. 

For Hurricane Idalia, the county was expecting storm surge and flooding to be the major concerns. The county only issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in Zone A and opened four schools as shelters. Freedom Elementary hosted 128 evacuees. 

In total, 566 people evacuated to Nolan Middle, and Freedom, Virgil Mills and Jessie P. Miller elementary schools, for Hurricane Idalia.

Guy Grimes, the principal of Freedom Elementary, and Jim Mennes, the principal of Mills Elementary, said their schools didn’t have as many evacuees for Hurricane Idalia because snowbirds have not yet returned to the area. Mennes said Mills Elementary could have had 100 more evacuees if snowbirds were in town.

Depending on the projected arrival of the storm, the school district lets students out so staff members can prepare the school to become a shelter. That was the case for Hurricane Idalia as Nolan Middle, and Freedom, Miller and Mills elementary schools had students leave at noon Aug. 28 to give staff members a few hours to prepare to open as shelters. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

At Mills Elementary, which served as a pet-friendly shelter, Mennes and his staff cleaned the school and lined the walls with plastic in case any animals had an accident. Anything posted on the walls was taken down. 

The county delivers sandbags, water, flashlights and other supplies to the schools. The schools have generators so the shelter can continue to run the kitchen and provide emergency lighting if the power goes out. 

Grimes said at Freedom, each evacuee is given a colored wristband to let them know which hallway they are staying in. The shelter has designated hallways for families, couples and individuals. 

The School District of Manatee County delivers food to ensure the shelter can serve three hot meals per day. 

According to Regina Thoma, the director of the School District of Manatee County’s food and nutrition services, the district receives a small amount of commodity products from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and most of the cost for the food is reimbursed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

School administrators from across the county are assigned to shelters, and once a school opens as a shelter, the administrators report. The administrators take shifts working at the shelters. 

The shelters also are staffed by the school’s custodians and food service employees, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, two lifeguards (EMTs), a nurse, and two employees from animal control. 

Some teachers and community members also volunteer to staff the shelters.

Gary Holbrook, the founding principal of Freedom Elementary School, and David Marshall, who served as principal at Palm View Elementary School, were at Freedom Elementary School to volunteer. They helped serve lunch to the evacuees Aug. 29. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

“Having been principal, I know what goes into running a school, so any help you can get is going to be a benefit,” Marshall said. “We had people who did the same for us when we were principals, and we know how much that helped us. Being retired now, it’s our opportunity to give back and say we appreciated what they did for us.”

In his eight years at Mills, Mennes said he’s never turned someone away from the shelter due to lack of space.

“We make it work,” he said. “I always tell people we are lifeboat, not a cruise ship. I promise I will give you a place to sit, and I will keep you safe. Anything else is a bonus.”

Every hour, the principals report the number of evacuees to the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center. 

The school district and Manatee County Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management look at the size and location of the storm, the number of evacuees at the shelters and the number of residents still needing shelter during the storm to determine whether more schools should be opened as shelters. 

Returning to normal 

Once it is safe for people to return home, the shelters close, and custodians and staff from other School District of Manatee County departments go to the schools to help clean them before they reopen. 

Staff will clean the floors and walls, the cafeterias, bathrooms and any other part of the school to which evacuees had access.

“When we’re done, it smells like a hospital,” Mennes said. 

Grimes and Mennes said the schools always are ready in time for students to return.

When schools reopen, they have their guidance counselors on hand to talk to students about their experiences during the hurricane, if needed.

Elaine Johnston said residents should know the locations of the school in preparation for that next hurricane. They should also know what supplies to bring with them.

She suggests having extra blankets and sweaters as it can get cold in the schools. She also recommends bringing a cot or an inflatable bed to be comfortable as well as activities to keep busy.