- December 21, 2024
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In the wake of Hurricane Debby, Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said that while Longboat Key wasn’t free of impacts, things could have been worse.
Dezzi, who also serves as the town’s emergency management coordinator, was in command of the town’s storm operations, which he said began on Wednesday. At that time, town staff began watching the storm and, as it got closer, met with Sarasota County officials.
In emergencies, the town follows the direction of Sarasota County even though the northern half of the island is in Manatee County. This is so there is one unified direction, but Longboat Key officials still coordinate with Manatee County and keep its direction in mind, Dezzi said.
Before the weekend, Dezzi had Public Works staff start to put out signs that cautioned drivers of high water, while the police and fire rescue departments secured vessels. Dezzi said this is all part of normal preparations for big storms.
From Saturday into Sunday, police and fire rescue crews stayed on the island per Dezzi’s request, and a skeleton crew from Public Works was also out on the island, assisting when needed and ensuring the high water signs were in place.
When Debby brushed past Longboat Key, it was not yet a hurricane, but it brought heavy winds and rainfall. Dezzi said the National Weather Service reported the highest wind gusts on the island were around 56 miles per hour — about 20 mph less than a Category 1 Hurricane.
The brunt of the impacts for Longboat Key came on Sunday and into Monday morning. During that time, Dezzi said there wasn’t an increase in call volume, and no storm-related injuries were reported. There were no calls for water rescues nor requests from residents needing help evacuating.
“The roads were really empty, which we were glad about,” Dezzi said.
From what he heard and saw, Dezzi said Longboaters were staying put in their homes or had evacuated on their own, which is a positive in these situations.
“As far as we’re concerned, that’s good,” Dezzi said. “I think one good thing is, people listened. They took this seriously.”
Dezzi and town staff worked in close communication with Sarasota County, but the emergency management team never had to go to the county’s Emergency Operations Center as they do with major storms.
The town’s main concerns were the lowest-lying areas in the Village, Buttonwood and Sleepy Lagoon areas, which all experienced flooding during Debby, according to Dezzi.
Something that was a pleasant surprise to Dezzi was that St. Armands Circle didn’t have major flooding issues. This was a positive that made getting off the island from the south end easier, he said.
But on the north end, a sailboat lodged against the Longboat Pass Bridge caused some trouble, and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified to take care of the issue. The bridge was closed for a few hours on Sunday.
Early Monday morning, Debby became a Category 1 Hurricane as it made landfall in Steinhatchee of Florida's Big Bend region.
On Longboat, the effects of flooding were experienced into Monday afternoon. Parts of Gulf of Mexico Drive were impassable until about 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.
From Sunday into Monday, Dezzi evaluated the island’s conditions and made the call that town staff would work remotely if possible. But police, fire rescue, Public Works and Planning, Zoning and Building officials were brought onto the island to begin damage assessment and cleanup.
Assessment crews patrolled the island, some needing to utilize the fire rescue department’s high-water vehicles to get down more flooded side streets.
“We got more water than what was expected,” Dezzi said.
On Tuesday, some areas to the side of Gulf of Mexico Drive were still flooded, side streets were still damp and crews were starting to take care of some of the debris.
Though reports won’t be finalized until later this week, Dezzi said the crews mainly saw water intrusion damage in the flooded areas. Town facilities still need to be looked at with more detail, but for now, it doesn’t appear there were any major damages, according to Dezzi.
Next, PZB staff will work with residents and those affected by the island’s flooding to compile reports that will be sent to the counties. The damage assessments will include pictures of the damage and calculate a percentage of areas affected, which will be compiled in a report.
Overall, Dezzi said that while there was more water and flooding than originally expected, this wasn’t a hurricane when it swept past Longboat Key. At the time, the storm’s gusts weren’t yet at the level of a Category 1 hurricane.
“This was just a tropical storm and not a hurricane,” Dezzi said. “So what they (residents) saw out there this past weekend, they need to understand that it’s going to be a lot worse (with a hurricane) than what we saw this weekend.”
Dezzi also said people should be aware that Florida summer weather and afternoon showers will continue to saturate the ground, which could cause flooding.
Another important thing is for residents to make sure they are enrolled in Alert Longboat Key, the town’s emergency messaging service. To register for Alert Longboat Key, visit the town’s website at LongboatKey.org. Contact Phillips at [email protected] or 941-316-1999 with any registration issues.
