- September 9, 2024
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The early effects of then-Tropical Storm Debby began being felt in the Sarasota County area overnight Saturday into Sunday. By the time Hurricane Debby made landfall in the Big Bend area and trudged slowly toward the Carolinas, it left in its wake more than a foot of rain in some areas, closing streets and stranding residents in some neighborhoods.
In fact, Sarasota experienced historical flooding during this storm, which at 17.78 inches, according to National Weather Service official rainfall data, was the fourth most in the state. Debby dumped a reported 21.7 inches on Ruskin, 20.34 inches on Palm Harbor and 18.86 inches on nearby Parrish.
On Tuesday afternoon, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Maj. Gen. John Haas of the Florida National Guard arrived in Sarasota to survey the impacts in person.
It wasn’t the devastation of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and unlike Hurricane Idalia in 2023, which left much of St. Armands Key underwater, the most devastating flooding occurred inland, the Bahia Vista area among the worst where some residents were rescued from their homes by boat.
As one outer band of squalls after another took direct aim at Sarasota, inland flooding surpassed that of barrier islands, although one lane of Casey Key Road was washed away and repairs are in effect.
Sarasota County government posted a video showing heavy flooding at Celery Fields. Along Fruitville Road, Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park, which in its recent restoration was engineered to handle floodwaters, still spilled over onto the adjacent roadway.
"The golf course did exactly what it was designed to do,” said Bobby Jones Golf Club General Manager Rory Sparrow. “It took on millions of gallons of water to save neighboring communities.”
Sparrow said about 80% of the course was underwater at one time, but all 18 greens remained above the flood line. Following the storm, the course and the nature park, he said, were draining quickly.
“The golf course restoration and nature park included sustainability and environmental features to take on regional stormwater to help protect neighboring properties from potential flooding,” Sparrow said.
Immediately after the storm passed, city and county crews hit the streets to begin damage assessments. Over social media, local governments and residents shared details and photos of flooded streets and other water damages.
As sustained winds generally stayed below 30 miles per hour, wind damage and power outages were minimal. On Monday, Florida Power and Light had reported approximately 8,400 outages in the county.
Impacts at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport were also minimal.
“Lots of canceled flights and a few minor roof leaks,” said SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo of impacts there. “The airport is operational and functioning. I saw some standing water on University Parkway near the airport. Otherwise, all is fine.”
Across University Parkway from the airport, there are reports the parking lot of the former Sarasota Kennel Club was underwater.
Government functions were also interrupted. Sarasota City Hall was closed and the City Commission meeting scheduled on Monday was canceled and rescheduled for Thursday beginning at 9 a.m. Also on Monday, City Manager Marlon Brown declared a state of emergency, which provides the city with more flexibility regarding expenditures and resource allocations required due to impacts from the storm.
Sarasota County government offices were closed Monday and Tuesday as county employees focused on assessing damage and rescue operations.
The county also opened an evacuation center at Sarasota Technical College for those forced out of their homes by floodwater. Dana Judge, spokeswoman for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, said 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.
Solid waste collections for both the city and county were shifted to one day later than regularly scheduled and access to the landfills was restricted Monday and Tuesday. The county’s Breeze transit services also operated on a limited basis.
Surprisingly, St. Armands Residents Association President Chris Goglia reported no significant flooding there as the pump and drainage system functioned efficiently.
