Sarasota residents experience major flooding from Tropical Storm Debby

Tropical Storm Debby left much of the Tampa Bay area cleaning up storm damage, especially in the neighborhoods surrounding Phillippi Creek in Sarasota.

[csj]

I'd like to give big thanks to Yoder's restaurant for giving out FREE dinners to anyone with flooded homes today. I think that's an awesome thing to do for thier fellow man. Anything on the menu, totally free of charge, no questions asked.
Many thanks to the Yoder family or whoever may be the owners. You've given me hope for humanity.

[FloridamanForever]

I live in Florida inland in a non flood zone. When I build my house I brought in 60 truckloads of dirt and raised my house 2 feet above surrounding land. You can never be to sure.

[highwayred]

This happened to me in Nashville floods in 2010 it took me years to recover 😢 prayers

[Bubba-wxlp]

Slow moving Tropical storms, with 15 inches rain, will sometimes do much more damage that fast moving hurricanes.
Sooner or later, a big hurricane will move into Tampa Bay.
Will be totally catastrophic flooding.
It's not if, but simply when.
A lot of these people just don't understand where they live.

[GraysonTheTrainNut]

What’s wrong and what happened is over development my Grandaddy was the water would get higher the more the land was overdeveloped and the natural flood planes paved over and removed. He said this before he died in 1999 he said it would only continue to get worse if you look at the flooding lines and where they built the new houses and how much higher those new houses are built it has destroyed the natural floodplain and caused the issue. What is wrong is the county leaders are allowing overdevelopment of natural resource land that could be used to protect the already existing population from such high waters and the new pattern of water, runoff, and intense rain from storms that wouldn’t have originally accumulated as they did this is the real story and the lesson behind this storm I’ve lived in Manatee County all my life and it was never this bad

[Moneypower]

This the one of main reason why I move from Sarasota it’s bad flooding, and a lot of the sewages is bad in whole city it’s a lot of old neighborhoods.

[christianwolf]

and the frustration is yet to come.

now comes the rejection letters from insurance companies, which for most families is far more devastating

[PP-mzhv]

Build and live in swamp, surrounded by an ocean and a gulf of water, what could possibly go wrong?

[dhmartin]

If you live near a creek or pond or in an area lower than your neighbor, buy flood insurance even if the mortgage company doesn't require it. A basic policy for a "non-flood" area is under $500 per year.

[WildChildMcCloud]

Prayers and much love to these people and everyone else affected by the hurricane.❤ 🙏

[hansgruber]

Wow, that's why I stay up North.

[nmhdez]

My cousins lucked out they sold their two properties there last month for over original buying price. Sucks for the new owners.

[gimmeshelter]

You know you're in Florida when you see huge piles of household furniture, appliances, and someone else's boat out in front of the house.

[the_rubbish_bin]

That really sucks... There was nothing anyone could do, Debby dumped a historic amount of rain... More than the stormwater systems were designed to handle.

[mht]

I lived in Sarasota for many years (now live further south in Englewood) in a non-flood area but this is tragic - the entire city has been overdeveloped, far too many people, serious infrastructure problems, what are the county commissioners doing with all the tax dollars??

[justinbauer]

I lived in Florida for 20 years in Sarasota the last 7 years when it rains the water would rise it is not a surprise but I'm very sad

[tesscot]

What the mortgage company should have said was, "it is no longer required." Clearly if you live near the coast and/or near Phillipe Creek or some other body of water you need flood insurance.

[AnthonyFerguson-hysm]

Been so proud of Debby since the day she was born

[lynnec]

How devastating! There is no place on the coastal lying areas that is safe. I worried constantly when I lived in Boynton Beach. I left. Imagining starting over leaves me breathless. I pray for these unfortunate people. Move.
Get out asap.

[marylett]

You cant predict Gods work, amen again!Take it in stride and move on, you are still here!❤