At first Longboat and Sarasota were nervous with Tropical Storm Debby approaching. But soon, a small amount of relief washed over our region when it appeared that it was going to make landfall to the north, leaving us mostly spared. Those hopes faded when more than 12 inches of rain from the Tropical Depression drenched not only coastal neighborhoods but surprisingly inland subdivisions as well.
According to the National Weather Service more than 12 inches of rain fell from Tropical Depression Debby during it’s passage by Sarasota last weekend into Monday afternoon.
Before becoming a hurricane and making landfall, Tropical Storm Debby whirled past Longboat Key’s coast, bringing with it heavy winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge.
The storm became a Category 1 hurricane and made landfall in Steinhatchee of Florida’s Big Bend region early Monday morning. Throughout the day on Monday, rain continued to fall in our region.
Many of Longboat’s low-lying areas in the north end Village and mid-Key were among the most impacted by rainfall and storm surge.
Around 3 p.m., a notice from the town indicated that Gulf of Mexico Drive was passable again and that some side streets along the island were flooded, but still passable.
Surrounding areas in Sarasota and Manatee counties also saw similar impacts with flooded roads and debris from high winds.
Several major roads were closed by flooding overnight and into early Monday morning.
Floodwaters submerged a large portion of the Bobby Jones Golf Course. By 9 a.m. Monday, water covering entire fairways spilled over a concrete wall and sidewalk, covering two of the three lanes of westbound Fruitville Road, forcing traffic into a single lane.
Firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement were inundated with rescue calls, some that required boats to reach stranded people. From midnight Sunday to noon Monday, the county’s Emergency Operations Center had logged 402 incidents involving water rescues, vehicles in water, or evacuations from flooded houses throughout Sarasota County, including Longboat Key, Venice and Englewood.
Sarasota County Fire Department Chief David Rathbun said in a video message Monday morning that dangerous conditions still exist and cautioned residents against venturing out unnecessarily.
“We encourage everyone to shelter in place,” he said, adding the county has had twice the rain that was expected from the storm.
By 10 a.m. Monday, Sarasota’s Main Street had little standing water, with small tree limbs littering the sidewalks. Normally bustling on a Monday morning, the street was nearly deserted and most businesses were still closed.
During a break in the rain at about 11 a.m. a handful of vehicles were navigating their way through standing water around St. Armands Circle and Lido Key, but most businesses remained closed. Many had makeshift barriers of sandbags and packing tape pressed against storefronts to keep floodwaters out.
Central County Water Reclamation Facility – Due to high flows, the reclaimed water storage pond reached capacity, and the pumping capacity was exceeded. Approximately 30,000 gallons of fully treated reclaimed water was discharged onto the plant grounds and went into the on-site stormwater retention area. The spill was contained on-site and there was no discharge off-site or to surface waters. No sampling is necessary. Notifications are being made according to protocols.
Redwood Master Lift Station – Due to a manhole overflow, approximately 100 gallons of wastewater spilled. No recovery was possible due to site conditions, and no waterways or surface waters were affected. Notifications are being made according to protocols.
3769 Countryside Rd – Due to a 6″ force main that had cracked, approximately 700 gallons of wastewater spilled, and all 700 were recovered from the surrounding site. Cleanup and notifications are proceeding per protocol. No surface waters were impacted, and no sampling is necessary.
