Longboat Key remains closed to residents after ‘truly historic’ storm

Driving along Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key is like a ghost town. 

Days after Hurricane Helene passed by the island and caused devastating storm surge impacts, town officials have been working nonstop to address critical issues from water leaks, road collapses and now gas leaks. 

Some of the damage can be seen driving down GMD, Longboat’s main road — washing machines in the street, couch cushions floating in pools of water and damaged cars fallen into collapsed portions of roads. 

The south end of the island was spared the worst, but debris and damage can still be seen. The gulf breached the island in a couple of places, meeting with the bay. According to Town Manager Howard Tipton, the Longboat Key Club golf courses were like lakes during the storm.

This storm was “truly historic,” Tipton said. 

Driving up to the north end, that point is made. What are now piles of sand along the sides of GMD was once up to 2 feet of sand along the road after the storm passed. The Florida Department of Transportation is working with the town on clearing the sand, Tipton said. 

Tipton assumed that Gulfside Road was where some of the most damage was dealt. Beachfront homes here were devastated, some almost completely gutted. Piles of debris and remains of houses stand on the beaches. 

The beaches themselves are different, too — flatter, and with more rock and old seawall exposed than before. 

On the north end, while walking out to check on the beaches, one of Tipton’s worst fears was realized. The concrete groin field on the north end is completely exposed, meaning the sand that once covered them was washed away. 

Some places along the gulf beach, like Casa del Mar, are filled with sand on the first floor, according to Chief of Police George Turner. Water lines on some homes show the water from storm surge reached 3-4 feet. 

“This (storm) is maybe the worst in long memory, not short memory,” Tipton said, adding that many others have reached out and said this was the worst storm surge they had ever seen on the island. 

Now, the town emergency response crew is still in the response phase, and not ready to enter recovery, according to Tipton. 

There are major water leaks on the island still, which is preventing the town’s water tanks from filling. This poses a problem not only for the town’s wastewater system but also for the fire rescue department to utilize water when responding to emergencies. 

Help from outside agencies has been important over the past couple of days. Tipton said the National Guard supplied the town with some High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, allowing fire rescue and police crews to respond to emergencies when high water levels posed problems. 

Florida Power and Light is also working with the town to restore electricity. Tipton said the goal was to have 50% of the town restored with power by the night of Sept. 28. 

As a part of this response process, the town is also being proactive about the potential of looters coming to the island. Longboat Key police officers block off both ends of the island, patrols have been doubled on the island and eight Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies were assigned to Longboat Key for the next 48 hours. 

On Sept. 28 at 5 p.m., the town opened for Tier 2, which includes healthcare and insurance agencies, condominium managers and critical business owners. This was only allowed for those who were tending to properties from the south end up to 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Conditions north of that are still too unsafe. 

However, Tipton and town officials are trying to emphasize to residents that it’s still unsafe to return. The impacts from Hurricane Helene were much worse than what many residents have experienced in recent years. 

“The point we’re trying to relay to everyone is that this is completely different from Idalia,” Tipton said. 

Tipton also stressed that not allowing residents onto the island is for everyone’s safety, and that allowing enough time to assess the stability of roads and utilities is critical right now.