Snowbirds returning to a vastly different Longboat Key

As snowbird Sue Reese gears up to visit Longboat Key for the first time after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, she can't help but be anxious to see her condominium in Spanish Main Yacht Club in person.

"Everyone has told me that they start crying even before they get to their house," said Reese. "We have been there since 1992, and we have never seen our community this divided. It is hard to be away because we get new reports every day. Everyone has different ideas on how to move forward."

Reese's daughter flew down from Denver, Colorado, right after Hurricane Helene and concurred that everything would have to be replaced. She lost her refrigerator, dishwasher, sink and oven. Her flooring and carpeting had to be ripped up as well.

Courtesy image

Just like Reese, many snowbirds have no idea what Longboat Key looks like. She said it is hard for snowbirds to decipher whether it is worth coming back for the season when they are currently in the northern part of the country.

Reese said the biggest concern has been the piles of debris and belongings along the street, which makes it hard to drive down the narrow streets of Spanish Main. 

This has caused many of her neighbors to wonder if they want to come back at all. She said new owners are ready to leave while longtime snowbirds want to work to restore it. 

Reese is en route this week to scope out what her next steps are. She plans to stay with her daughter in Sarasota until she can get back into her condominium.

As their full-time friends fill them in, Reese and other snowbirds try to stay positive and hope for the best for the season.

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Reaching out to her other groups of community involvement, Reese was delighted to hear the Longboat Island Chapel is working to open its annual "Christmas in the Garden" event in December. Reese said these events will motivate the community to move forward and regain its optimistic environment. 

Snowbird Mary Del Pup is grateful for the communication from her neighbors from Seaplace Condominiums through the hurricanes. It has calmed her concerns on how the season is going to look like this year. 

"It will be different," said Del Pup. "But, most of the restaurants are opening, and events are going to be back on at my church and at Seaplace. I think the community is what is making us pick back up. We will always support each other, so I know we will make the most of what we can this year until we are back to normal." 

Del Pup plans to return for the season as normal, coming back the week of Thanksgiving. She said her condominium didn't have much damage, but the hurricanes did push back renovations on her home.

Del Pup's neighbor Gary Kemper is also looking forward to being back on the island even though it might not be the same aesthetic-wise.

File image

With restaurants and golf courses opening, Kemper said he will be back on Longboat at the end of November, with his schedule seeming normal despite the effect of the hurricanes. For Kemper, Longboat Key is so much more than its paradise-like atmosphere.

"I already have a reservation for Columbia (Restaurant) on the (Nov.) 26 when I get there," said Kemper. "But it's more than that. The people are really what make Longboat, and that is what we are going back to. Longboat is a very special place with resilient people, and I think it will continue to be that special place."