Debby impacts East County

EAST COUNTY — Although Tropical Storm Debby has come and gone, effects of the storm still linger.

Robyn Felix, spokesperson for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, said Debby nullified an 11-inch rain deficit in its 16-county region that includes Sarasota and Manatee counties.

“We’ve seen aquifer levels come back to normal ranges,” Felix said. “We’re starting to see all of the major rivers in the district come back to normal ranges. Some of them, this spring, were setting daily, historic record-low levels.”

In the East County, Manatee County officials closed portions of Upper Manatee River Road, west of Rye Road, June 25 to June 27, because of flooding associated with the leveling of Lake Manatee.

And, in Lakewood Ranch, officials temporarily closed Greenbrook Adventure Park due to flooding, as well. The park remained closed for several days, even after the storm had ended, because of standing water and swarms of fire ants that were seeking dry ground, Lakewood Ranch Town Hall Operations Director Ryan Heise said.

Landscaping crews worked quickly to remove debris from the community’s roadways and common areas following the storm.

The county is assessing the community at large and is encouraging business and homeowners to report uninsured and under-insured property damage from the storm through Friday, July 6, so it can seek reimbursement funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if it qualifies.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

By the Numbers
1 — Number of county roadways closed due to flooding because of the storm
7 — Number of years out of the last eight that Manatee has been considered in a drought or as having less-than-normal annual rainfall
55 — In miles per hour, highest gust of wind recorded during the storm by the National Weather Service
60 — Percent of annual rainfall that typically occurs during Florida’s rainy season, which runs June through September