- April 25, 2024
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A large tree fell in St. Armands Circle Park, revealing its roots. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
A large tree fell in St. Armands Circle Park, revealing its roots. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Two trees fell in the parking lot of the Chart House on the south end of Longboat Key. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Debris from palm trees lined Longboat Club Road Thursday afternoon. (Photos by Kat Hughes)
One of the Tiki huts from the Longboat Key Club lies in pieces on the beach in front of the club Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
An exit sign lies on the beach in front of the Longboat Key Club. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
An exit sign lies on the beach in front of the Longboat Key Club. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
An exit sign lies on the beach in front of the Longboat Key Club. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Waves crash against a seawall on the north end of Lido Key. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Waves crash against a seawall on the north end of Lido Key. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Anja Sandstrom, 3, plays with the coconuts knocked down in the storm. She and her family weathered the hurricane on the Key. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Anja Sandstrom, 3, plays with the coconuts knocked down in the storm. She and her family weathered the hurricane on the Key. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
A large banyan tree fell on the roof of the house at 1000 Bogey Lane and blocked the road until town workers were able to clear it Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Workers from the Longboat Key Public Works Department work to clear a tree blocking Halyard Lane. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Workers from the Longboat Key Public Works Department work to clear a tree blocking Halyard Lane. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Mark Richardson, facilities and recreation manager of Longboat Key, checks the list of issues his team has encountered Thursday. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Trees cover Palm Drive on the north end of the Key. Although the south end sustained more damage, there were some downed power lines and trees in the Village. (Photos by Kat Hughes)
Some small pools of water remained standing along Gulf of Mexico Drive on Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
A concrete power line broke in two along Gulf of Mexico Drive. Only about one-fourth of the town's utilities are buried in the ongoing project. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
A power pole leans along Gulf of Mexico Drive. Only about one-fourth of the town's utilities are buried in the ongoing project. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Downed trees dotted the Longboat Key Club's golf courses Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Kat Hughes)
Hurricane Ian made landfall Sept. 28, 2022.
File photoA large banyan tree fell on the roof of the house at 1000 Bogey Lane and blocked the road until town workers were able to clear it Thursday afternoon. (Lesley Dwyer)
David Loccisano helps Norma McCarthy gather photos from her damaged home. (Lesley Dwyer)
A home in Twin Shores is damaged. (Lesley Dwyer)
Christine and Luis Ortiz and Dave Bishop celebrate homes survival on Buttonwood Drive. (Courtesy photo)
Damage at the Public Tennis Center (Courtesy photo)
A large tree blocks the exit at the southern end of Bay Isles. (Lesley Dwyer)
A large tree split two directions near Fairway Bay. (Courtesy [photo)
When it comes to the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Longboat Key, most of the effects were visible mid-Key to the south. Although the north portion of the island showed less damage, downed trees and debris lined Gulf of Mexico Drive on Thursday afternoon after crews had worked all day to make sure roads were clear for returning residents.
Residents were allowed back on the island Thursday afternoon, but water and sewer remained off at that time, and much of the Key remained without power.
The signature of the storm was one of wind rather than water, with several large trees uprooted in neighborhoods, on the Key's two golf courses and along its roadways.
Mark Richardson, facilities and recreation manager of the town of Longboat Key, said the town's Tactical First-In Team started working around 6:30 a.m. Thursday to sweep the island and note issues, and crews began at 9 a.m. to clear roadways, starting north and working south.
He said more of the damage was on the southern end, but it still didn't compare to the debris Longboat encountered during its last brush with a major hurricane. "Debris-wise, this is still so much better than what we had with (Hurricane) Irma," he said.
One Country Club Shores family decided to stay home for the storm rather than evacuate. Anneliese Sandstrom, who grew up on Longboat Key, said she and her husband, Fredrik, felt confident because their house is hurricane-proofed and their power lines are buried. She said they lost power around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and were hoping it would be restored sometime Thursday.
"Luckily, my phone worked the whole time so we had communications," she said. "We bought cases of water and had what we needed. It was surviving. It's not fun, it's like camping."
