- May 6, 2024
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The morning of Aug. 29 was even quieter than the usual offseason day on Longboat Key.
Fewer than 24 hours before Hurricane Idalia’s anticipated landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida, Longboat Key residents were preparing quietly while the ocean crept up on the barrier island.
At 8:15 a.m., Sips Coffee shop in Whitney Beach Plaza had its neon “Open” sign illuminated. Inside, a couple customers made small talk about the storm and rumors of surfers heading to Holmes Beach to catch the remarkable waves.
Owners Chris Carter and Justina Condensa said they would stay open for about another hour, or wait until they had no customers for a while. They were still unsure, but they figured Longboaters would still want their coffee.
Across the street, residents were able to pick up 10 sandbags each at the Broadway Street Public Beach Access. Town Manager Howard Tipton and Public Works Director Charlie Mopps were there to help.
Mopps said people were there as early as 7 a.m. to wait for sandbags.
As each resident came to pick up sandbags, either Tipton or Mopps asked for proof of residence before the team of two scooped sand into the sandbags, held open by a wide funnel.
“We’re going to get our exercise in,” Tipton said.
“Yeah, who needs steps when you got shoveling,” Mopps replied.
Resident of North Longboat Key Roger Lusins packed his sandbags alongside Tipton and Mopps. This wasn’t Lusins’ first time preparing for a hurricane.
Lusins’ plans were to help neighbors with anything they needed, like getting boats, outdoor furniture and potted plants secured.
“A lot of people on the island need help,” Lusins said. “So you have to do what you can.”
Mopps took Tipton up on his offer to head out early, allowing him to finalize some last-minute preparations for Public Works. Tipton stayed at the beach access point until 10 a.m. to help residents make use of the remaining sand.
Out on the beach at the access point, it was difficult to tell where the tide line was.
Right at the dune level was a line of sea foam. Tide pools dotted the beach, sometimes connected to the greater body of water.
The sun provided only a bit of light through the cloudy sky. It was getting dark by noon, but no major storm clouds were in sight.
Further down the beach, a few people had their cellphones out, taking pictures of the changed beach landscape, documenting the pre-Idalia atmosphere.
A short walk away from the beach entrance was a flock of more than a hundred shorebirds. Terns, some juvenile, were the most abundant.
Some lay flat to the sand, and others walked around. Every so often, one would fly away with some sort of food, and the rest of the group would squawk up a frenzy. Whatever preparations they were making on their own, it was difficult to tell.
Leading up to some scattered storms beginning around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Longboat Key remained mostly tranquil — the cliche “the calm before the storm” rang true.
