Full scope of Debby’s damage still to be determined, Longboat officials say

After the preliminary windshield damage assessment from Hurricane Debby, staff with the town of Longboat Key estimated that 35-40 structures were damaged by some amount of flooding.

According to the report compiled by the Planning, Zoning and Building Department, street flooding in low-lying areas resulted in some water intrusion in homes, and overall there was a lot of street flooding and canals that overtopped.

This assessment was completed by staff after Hurricane Debby passed Longboat Key as a tropical storm. Once it was safe to do so, staff drove around the island to conduct the assessment.

Most of the areas where streets were completely flooded with homes showing signs of intrusion were around the north-end Village and Sleepy Lagoon areas. The area around the 6300 to 6500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive was also reported to have water about 8 inches deep.

“We anticipate that there will likely be more reports of damage as homeowners or tenants are able to check on their properties,” Director of Planning, Zoning and Building Allen Parsons said in an email.

Parsons added that, as a part of the town’s building permit application, homeowners and contractors are required to indicate if the work is associated with storm damage. This could help the town to evaluate how much damage was done by then-Tropical Storm Debby. 

“Over time we’ll be able to better assess what the estimated construction values are associated with storm impacts,” Parsons said in an email.

Assistant Director of Public Works Charlie Mopps said that the beaches were also impacted by Hurricane Debby. While coastal erosion is evident, Mopps said the sand should be in the offshore system, meaning it could naturally accrete over time. 

According to Mopps, the town asked Al Browder, the town’s coastal consultant with Olsen Associates, to conduct an assessment of Hurricane Debby’s impact on the beaches. Browder will provide an update to commissioners after analyzing the data, which Mopps said could be in September. 

Homeowners who need to report damage from Hurricane Debby can reach out to the PZB Department at 941-316-1966. Businesses that wish to report physical or economic damage can do so through the state’s Business Damage Assessment Survey. 

Residents and businesses in Sarasota County can also report damage through the county’s Citizen Damage Assessment Survey, and residents in Manatee County can ask for assistance with unmet needs due to Hurricane Debby.