Lido Shores Hurricane Irma Update

As expected, we got hit, and hit hard, but dodged a major bullet.  Powerful Hurricane Irma, accompanied by a potentially catastrophic storm surge and punishing winds wound its way up Florida's southwest coast.  But by the time its core brushed just east of Sarasota around 9:00 pm, the storm had thankfully weakened.

As of this writing (late Sunday evening-Sept 10th), heavy rainfall of 8-inches had already fallen in our area throughout the day. Up to 4-more inches is expected overnight.  A storm surge of up to 3-5-feet, downgraded from 10-feet, is also anticipated.

Category 1-Hurricane force winds blasted Sarasota for a time Sunday evening, significantly reduced from its original Category 4 intensity upon landfall in Marco Island.  Wind gusts up to 90- miles per hour were reported.  Tropical storm winds started picking up Sunday morning... and by mid-day Sunday were already gusting to 41-miles per hour.

Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico seawater receded west from the shoreline upwards of 50-feet Sunday afternoon, with exposed boats sitting on the bottom.  Two stranded manatees were rescued.  A much reduced storm surge is expected to follow after Irma passes through, pushing Gulf and Bay waters back onshore.

We received a number of replies to our Sunday posting.  We've learned at least two persons are riding out the storm in Lido Shores.  Christine Isaak emailed:

Thank you for your information & help. 

For better or worse, my 89 year old mother Kitty Verney has chosen to stay at our home at 1209 Westway Drive. Bill and I are not there and obviously can't get back anytime soon but are available by mobile:  Our caretaker Ed Macys is staying with my mother. 

Thank you again & good luck to us all.

We also received this from Eileen O-Donnell:

My sister Sharon is stranded at our house (1355 West way). She was evacuated from Privateer and went to Sarasota High School, but it was full. She will have to ride out the storm at the house. So. If anyone is in the neighborhood, she is there. Pray. 

We sent information to both families that Phillipi Shores Elementary, Woodland Middle, 2700 Panacea Blvd. North Port and Gulf Gate Elementary, 6500 South Lockwood Ridge road were still open.

Bob Lifeso reports Saul and Florence Putterman were among the last to leave, moved from their Morningside Drive home Saturday when one of their caregivers was able to find an inland apartment.

And this email from Dee and Jeff Arnold:

This is Dee Arnold. We move here 2-years ago. We don’t know much about Hurricane’s here in our area. We are safely in our NC home. I have a question. Do you know how far above sea level Lido shores is? We were just wondering for storm surge of 6-10 feet how high the water will be around our homes? Thank you or any info you may have. 

Dee and Jeff Arnold

I responded that our property on John Ringling is 6-feet above sea level at it's highest point... and our former home on Morningside Place was at 11-foot elevation.  Most of the homes on Morningside Place are on the ground as are many on Center.  All newer homes in Lido Shores built to Sarasota and FEMA codes are raised to a minimum of 11-feet, with an "uninhabitable" first floor, which should help mitigate Lido Shores storm surge damage.

Elliott Himelfarb suggests that everyone be prepared to clean up if the water from the expected  surge rises above floor level.  We'll keep you posted and reach out to our neighbors still in Sarasota hunkering down inland to find out just how Lido Shores fared.  

Please email any storm videos or pictures to bthill@icloud.com and we'll post on lido-shores.com.

~Bob Thill
bthill@icloud.com