Idalia cannot be ignored

Here we go again. 

Our first storm of the season, Tropical Storm Idalia, is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 30 as a Category 3 hurricane. By 9 a.m. Monday, the Longboat Key Mobil gas station was packed with residents filling up their gas tanks. Shortly after noon, Sarasota County parents got word that schools would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare to serve as evacuation centers. 

While Sarasota-Manatee is not in the direct path of Idalia, sometimes the effects of landfall north of our area can create equally as bad storm surges and flooding, especially on the northern end of Longboat Key. Nearly 11 months to the day (Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa on Sept. 28, 2022), we must not forget lessons learned from that storm.  

Before we recall some important tips to stay safe during this storm and those that may follow during the 2023 hurricane season, rest assured that we will be here to provide you news and information before, during and after the storm has passed. 

First of all, you may be receiving your print copy a day early or perhaps a day later than your normal print delivery. Our weekly print editions are produced by the Villages Media Group, which is located just northwest of Orlando and east of Cedar Key, where Idalia plans to make landfall. To ensure their staff’s safety and that they have power to run the printing press, we’ve moved our deadlines up a day to get the print editions of the Longboat and East County Observers to you earlier. 

Next comes the safety of our delivery drivers. Our drivers need to stay off the roads until conditions are safe, which means your Sarasota Observer will possibly arrive later on Friday. During the storm, stay informed on the latest news on YourObserver.com, which will provide you breaking news and information up to the minute. We will also be sharing this information on social media. Follow us on Facebook @YourObserver. And in the event that print distribution is changed in the future due to storms, our e-Newspaper app will always have this week’s editions right on time. Visit YourObserver.com/Subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, because humans have short memories when it comes to unpleasant things, with the help of Coldwell Banker Realtor and Bird Key resident Roger Pettingell, here is a refresher on our top takeaways from Hurricane Ian for staying safe this season:

• Gas: Fill up your car with gas and charge your electric vehicles up to 100%. And fill up multiple gas cans for generators. When a storm makes landfall north of our area, it may affect supply chain issues, making gas scarce days after the storm has passed.
• Generators: If you have a generator, make sure you test it before the storm. Don’t wait to turn it on for the first time after the storm is over.
• Water: It’s not about getting thirsty and having water bottles on hand to drink. You’re really talking about what happens when your water gets shut off. You should fill up your bathtubs and all the vessels you have when your water is running, so you have it on hand when your water is turned off. This is especially important for barrier island residents, whose running water was turned off for two to three days during Hurricane Ian.
• Cars: When storm surge is a threat, a critical lesson we learned is to park your cars on a high level of a parking garage. If you’re out of town, make sure your keys are somewhere someone can access them. 
• Hotel: Pre-book a hotel in Evacuation Zone C or higher. Also, look for a hotel that has been built in the past five years, has a generator and is up to hurricane codes.
• Power: Pettingell left his front door light on before evacuating Bird Key during Ian. He used his Ring doorbell app to check and see when his power came back on. The Ring doorbell is battery operated, so put in fresh batteries or fully charge it before you leave.
• Insurance: Check with your insurance agent to make sure you’re adequately insured. Don’t wait until the last minute to do a walk around with a smartphone to video what the contents of your home are if you do have to make an insurance claim. Create a family Dropbox with all of your important documents scanned so you can access them on your phone so you’re not running around looking for insurance papers.
• Evacuation plan: When making your evacuation plan, keep in mind that the cone of uncertainty is just that, it’s uncertain. You may want to have a couple of places available to evacuate to, for example, out in east in Sarasota, farther east in Orlando or even up and out of the state.

This morning, I asked my husband, Pat Robinson, deputy city manager and public safety administrator of the city of Sarasota, what was the most important thing I needed to do to prepare for this storm. He replied, “Fill up your gas tank.” So, just like all those smart Longboaters, I’m off to the nearest gas station. Stay safe.