Residents Uninformed of Lake Manatee Dam Risk Before Storm: Reprint from the

When Tropical Storm Debby struck, county residents had no idea the Lake Manatee dam was a ticking time bomb. Thousands found out the hard way. (Credit: Chris Whittaker)

By Michael Barfield | August 15, 2024

As Tropical Storm Debby moved across Cuba Friday, Aug. 2, the National Hurricane Center warned of heavy rain and flooding along Florida’s west coast.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the 11 a.m. advisory read. Up to 12 inches of rain was forecast.

Manatee County officials have known for years that an aging and problem-plagued dam at Lake Manatee posed a threat to public safety, but reduced outflow 48 hours before Debby instead of increasing it ahead of forecasted rainfall, according to records obtained by the Florida Trident.

By 8 a.m. Saturday morning, the rainfall forecast was revised upward to a maximum of 15 inches. By 5 p.m. Saturday, the forecast called for up to 18 inches. Despite the rising threat, records show a steady decrease in water discharged from the dam beginning two hours after that last warning. By early Sunday morning, only one gate was discharging water at a trickle.

It was only after Debby’s rain bands began to hit that Manatee officials increased the amount of water flowing out of the lake. But it wasn’t enough. By Monday morning, officials decided to take drastic action, allowing millions of gallons of water to flow from the lake.

Residents were given no warning about the release of water. Hundreds were evacuated and many homes destroyed. Residents are angry and demanding answers.

County officials knew they had a potential catastrophe on their hands. A report issued two months earlier included a stark warning: Unless long-delayed, critical repairs were made to the dam before hurricane season, the aging and fragile dam could suffer an “uncontrolled release” of water.

According to engineering reports reviewed by the Trident, the only option to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the entire 6 billion-gallon reservoir was to remove earthen plugs above an emergency spillway just to the north of the dam. The plugs and emergency spillway were designed to relieve pressure on the dam by opening an additional channel to discharge water.

The engineering feat had never been done before during a rain event. No one knew for certain what would happen. But officials did know one of three gates at the dam was inoperable, restricting the ability to discharge water.

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About the Author: Michael Barfield focuses on the enforcement of open government laws. He serves as an investigative reporter and FLCGA’s Director of Public Access. He regularly assists journalists across the country with collecting information and publishing news reports obtained from public records and other sources.

For more information about the Florida Trident or FLCGA, please email info@flcga.org.