SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — As we approach the end of a devastating hurricane season, new details about what contributed to catastrophic flooding at the Laurel Meadows subdivision in Sarasota have emerged.
County officials recently discussed their preliminary findings from the internal hydraulic analysis of dam systems along the Philippi Creek basin. Several homeowners said they are finally relieved to learn what caused the unexpected rising waters and anticipate more details when the full report is released in January.
In August, Hurricane Debby dumped around 17 inches of rain on the area in less than 24 hours.
"For us, it was very expensive. You know hundreds of thousands of dollars that people didn't didn't have not only where we forced out because of the storm, but you just lose everything that you actually had," Dr. Daniel Mion Bet of Sarasota said.
"Our houses were all inundated here and we've been wondering how it happened," Richard Spooner, a Laurel Meadows Neighbor said.
The county's survey found a low spot in the berm or basin divide that lets Cow Pen Slough flow into Philippi Creek.
"Since Cow Pen Slough was higher during the storm, it floated in and created additional water in that area that floated right into the Laurel Meadows subdivision," Spencer Anderson, Sarasota County's Public Works Director said.
Also contributing to the problem is the elevation of some of the newly constructed subdivisions nearby.
"The finished floors in Laurel Meadows were around 28 feet and the surrounding development was more about 30 feet," Anderson said.
Dr. Mion Bet took 10 Tampa Bay in an elevated ATV into the subdivision and his home during the height of the flooding.
Like the 85 homes in Laurel Meadows, his home took in nearly four feet of water. After extensive repairs, they were fortunate to find buyers and have moved out permanently.
Mion Bet and his neighbors didn't have flood insurance because the area wasn't considered a flood zone and the discovery aligned with what they had suspected, they're feeling relieved and vindicated.
"Knowing that there was something wrong, I guess confirmed the doubts that all of us as neighbors had," Bet said.
"We have all Wondered for the last many months here, we can sleep better at night and know that we finally did get to what the cause of it was," Spooner said.
A full evaluation is expected to be completed by the end of November or early December. In January, county staff will discuss the findings in a workshop with county commissioners as well as potential policy development for flood plain management and flood mitigation.
