MANASOTA KEY, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia severely damaged areas far south of where the storm made landfall. Along the southwestern tip of Sarasota County, the storm surge washed roads away.
Sarasota County officials are still assessing all the damage done. And a challenge they're facing — getting there safely to see what needs repair. Some neighbors said this is the worst they've ever seen.
William Hilburn lives on the water on Manasota Key. He said the storm conditions weren't looking too severe on the eve of Hurricane Idalia's landfall. But in the early morning hours, things took a turn.
"About 1:30 in the morning, I could see the water actually running around my house and the water beading, splashing up on my glass which is about 65 or 70 feet from the gulf," Hilburn described.
Hilburn lives on Manasota Key Road. Huge sections of that are now washed away.
On Monday, county officials extended the county's state of emergency declaration for an additional 7 days.
"[There are] around 100 homes with major flooding damage," Emergency Services Director Rich Collins said. "And today, and tomorrow, they're looking at the public assistance side. So the roads and those things"
Coastal portions of Sarasota County saw an estimated three to four foot storm surge from Hurricane Idalia. Across the county, the damages are already looking to cost millions.
"So right now we're sitting at an estimated about $2.6 million worth of damage," Collins said.
Idalia made landfall far north of Manasota Key. Even though evacuation orders were in place, some still chose to ride it out.
" I didn't think it would hit here this bad because I figured it was we were it was headed north to Cedar Key and then wouldn't the band wouldn't be this far down," Hilburn said. "Next time. I will definitely leave"
County officials pointed to Idalia's rapid intensification, highlighting that even if you aren't in the path of a storm, the damages can still be extensive.
The Manasota Key Beach area was renourished in recent years. All of that sand brought in was washed away by Hurricane Idalia.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.