Longboat Key updates resiliency plan after back-to-back hurricanes

Longboat Key’s barrier island community contains surrounding water, thus one of the town’s continued priorities is environmental resiliency. 

The town’s Sea Level Rise and Recurring Flooding Resilience Plan is one of the guiding documents for town staff to develop resiliency projects related to sea level rise and flooding. The plan was recently reviewed and updated by town staff and Aptim Environmental and Infrastructure. 

At the town commission’s March 3 meeting, Aptim Project Manager Samantha Danchuk joined Public Works Director Charlie Mopps to present the updates and a progress report. 

The town initially hired Aptim in April in 2018 to begin developing the plan by reviewing sea level rise projections and outlining recommended actions for adaptation. The plan followed a four-step approach: initial assessment, defining impacts, adaptation strategies and the implementation plan.

This led to the foundational plan presented in 2022 and, now, the 2025 update. 

The updates stemmed from the impacts Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton had on the island in 2024. Further back, Hurricane Idalia’s surge in 2023 also affected the revisions. 

“These surges place immense pressure on infrastructure and highlight the need for adaptive strategies outlined in the 2025 Adaptation Plan Update,” the update states when talking about the impact of Helene and Milton.

According to the update, Idalia’s storm surge was projected to reach 4.5 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD), a widely-used measurement of sea level. 

The update also states Helene’s storm surge reached about 7 feet above NAVD. 

This level of flooding prompted Longboat Key leaders to enact policy changes to adapt to future flooding, such as raising the freeboard allowance, seawall height allowance and the maximum height of docks and boat lifts. 

These policy changes are exactly what the plan suggests the town do to remain resilient, something Danchuk pointed out as positive progress in adaptation. 

“A lot of private adaptation is happening faster than we would have anticipated as a result of the storms,” Danchuk said. “And, fortunately, you’ve put in place some very important policies to make sure that when people are spending money on adaptation, they’re doing so in a way that is resilient.” 

Danchuk said the update was also meant to document progress across the entire plan, and she said Longboat Key is ahead of many other municipalities. 

“You have made progress in all 25 actions, and the critical areas have been addressed or in progress of being addressed,” Danchuk said. “That’s outstanding. You are leading the curve as far as implementation.”

The updates in the plan help Longboat’s staff and leaders to document progress to plan for the future, something especially important as town commissioners near the strategic planning retreat this spring. 

“What’s also important about continuing to update this information is that you are noting what projects have already been put in place, and those vulnerabilities are no longer putting you at risk,” Danchuk said. “As you’re making the improvements, that’s reflected in the database that we have for you.”

Aptim presents a dashboard that quantifies the town's progress. For example, the report shows 27 permits issued so far to increase the seawall height, which addressed the plan’s priority of amending seawall regulation to address tidal flooding. 

Additionally, the town has three projects in the works to plan for future stormwater management operations — another priority of the plan. The projects include drainage improvements in low-lying areas like the Village and Sleepy Lagoon. 

In the report, it states the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2050 intermediate sea level rise projections would put 223 of the island’s stormwater treatment facilities and pump stations at risk, with another 121 at medium risk. 

Given those same estimates, 62 parcels would be at high risk, and 39 would be at medium risk. 

Regarding the stormwater and pump facilities, Mopps said this is a prime example of a resiliency project the town is pursuing by any means necessary. The goal is to lift the electrical panels of the pump stations so they are higher off the ground and less susceptible to flooding. 

Mopps said the project exemplifies the town’s commitment to resiliency projects by demonstrating the pursuit of multiple grant opportunities, insurance claims and claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

“We’re not just hitting one thing, we’re hitting everything to try to make sure that anything that we can do to make the town more resilient, we are,” Mopps said.