Manatee County extended the local state of emergency for Tropical Storm Debby on Thursday for an additional week as residents continue to recover from an estimated $55 million in storm damage.
The county also announced plans for a third-party investigation into response and recovery during the tropical storm, including circumstances surrounding the Lake Manatee water release. Many residents whose homes were flooded during Debby believe water released from the Lake Manatee dam could have contributed to community flooding and called for an investigation publicly.
More: Homes destroyed by Debby, residents blast county officials over Lake Manatee water release
County officials have maintained that the water release was necessary due to heavy rainfall.
“We know the why,” Manatee County Director of Natural Resources Charlie Hunsicker said in a news release. “This was a massive rain event that simply overwhelmed all of our streams and tributaries. In some areas, the rainfall amounts were up to five times greater than the built systems were designed to handle.”