Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia | Impact and Recovery

Siesta Key is a beautiful island on the coast of Sarasota, Florida. It has faced a terrible storm that poorly affected the economy and tourism system. Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia hit around the 29th to 30th of August this year. Other islands such as Casey Key and Manasota Key faced tremendous storms. 

This article covers all the essential details about the storm and its impact on the coastal areas. Go through the article below to find out the pathway, economic and tourism impact, and recovery system of the storm Idalia. 

Tracking the Pathway of Hurricane Idalia

Before any storm approaches, experts must understand the predicted timing and orbit. The National Hurricane Center started researching and monitoring Idalia’s movement to update the residents accordingly. Through the threatening presence of the storm in the Atlantic, researchers predicted the timing, pathway, and impact. 

Comparison to past Hurricanes

Every hurricane has a unique characteristics. However, comparing Idalia to past hurricanes is helpful to create a better understanding of potential impacts. Siesta Key has witnessed quite a lot of wrath of “Mother Nature” and knows all the devastating consequences of a hurricane’s power. 

In 2017, the island has experienced a strong category 3 Hurricane Irma. The winds were powerful, and the rains were torrential. It caused widespread deterioration of natural habitats, residents, infrastructure, and tourism spots. 

Through the comparison to these powerful storms, the local authorities and residents succeeded in making well-informed decisions. Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia started its journey towards the Gulf Coast, and the previous storm experiences helped them to face the upcoming challenges. 

Prediction of timing and pathway 

Through the research and prediction, the experts forecasted the landfall of the hurricane in the Gulf Coast region. Siesta Key is also located within the potential landfall zone. Local people prepared themselves based on the pathway of Idalia. 

Experts also monitored meteorologists via various factors that influenced the storm’s pathway. These factors include wind patterns, atmospheric pressure, and weather system presence. It helped the scientists make more accurate predictions of the landfall, path, and timing of Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia. 

How Siesta Key Prepared for the Storm? 

Local authorities, residents, and emergency services worked together to create various communities and ensure the safety of everyone within the community.  As soon as Hurricane Idalia hit the Siesta Key coasts, the atmosphere turned into urgency and perseverance for property and life-saving. 

The communities worked together to support each other during the challenging times. The emergency teams declared to secure the doors and windows from heavy rain forces and clean the yards of any possible projectiles. 

The local businesses and hardware stores prepared themselves to supply sandbags, plywood, and generators for the upcoming Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia. The underway preparation helped the coastal people face the threats of the storm successfully. 

Impact of Hurricane Idalia

Siesta Key

After the storm, the experts visited Siesta Key and reported that the beach area appeared to be narrowed and the sands lost issues. The swimming pools around the beach area were filled with sand due to heavy wind. However, the dune vegetation planted during the beach restoration stayed in the same place. 

The 7816 Sanderling Road property nearly completed the rock revetment before the storm hit. However, the storm exhaustively covered the property with deposited sand. The emergency staff also visited 9230 Blind Pass Road for an investigation. The report has revealed that the sand established on the seaward side of a wall was missing. 

Casey Key

Staff members visited Casey Key Island on 31st August and witnessed a heavy wave of energy that was quite active during the visit. The waves of Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia over splashed the roads and caused severe damage to the revetment areas. 

In the 712 N. Casey Key Road area, several rocks were missing, and a county squad immediately took the process of replacing them. The report also revealed that in the region of 2207 and 2120 Casey Key Road, the area seawall on the Gulf lost around 18 to 25 inches of sand. 

Manasota Key

The Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia damaged the Manasota Key seriously. It eroded the dune vegetation of the 6780 Manasota Key Road house that was the landward of the home. The last northern property at 6810 Manasota Key Road also lost all the dune vegetation due to the heavy wind. 

Moreover, the surrounding Islands of the coastal area experienced lots of damage because of heavy waves and wind blows. The storm removed the sand, the seaward and landward sides of the new wall experienced erosion, and washed out dune vegetation. The heavy storm impacted both the economy and tourism inadequately. 

Response and Recovery 

Once the Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia passed, local authorities, emergency services, and utility crews worked tirelessly to recover the impacted areas. They worked hard to clear the roads and restore services to ensure the well-being of residents and tourists who were stuck during the storm. 

The popes and cables broke, and the flood water submerged it poorly. It impacted the water and internet services. The Sarasota County Utilities Department advised the residents to report water leakages and usage as soon as possible. They also suggest to boil the water as the quality of the water was degraded due to the flood. 

The most challenging part of the recovery was restoring the internet, water, and power. As per the report of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), more than 1 million people lost power supply due to the Hurricane. The company deployed over 10 thousand workers to repair pole damages and electricity supplies in the impacted areas. 

The Sarasota County Public Works Department collaborated with FDOT agencies to clear the blocked roads and bridges. They gathered bulldozers, trucks, and chainsaws to clear debris such as branches, trees, vehicles, furniture, and boats. 

Though the rescue teams faced a lot of challenges during recovery and response, they gained some success as well. Due to good precaution and preparation, no serious injuries were reported because of the Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia. The Sarasota County Emergency Management arranged shelters for people who needed a safe place during and after Hurricane Idalia. 

Economy and Tourism 

The economy and the tourism of Sarasota coastal Islands and surrounding areas had a significant impact due to the storm. Businesses and tourist places encountered difficulties because of power cuts, water issues, and infrastructure damage. 

Many local businesses were forced to close their shops and stalls. The open businesses faced severe damage and required repair and cleanups. The closure of shops, restaurants, and hotels caused joblessness for many people, and businesses lost revenue. 

Due to the Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia, many theme parks in the Orlando area were closed. Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando Resort were closed till 1st September. The flights and cruises were cancelled due to the storm. The tourist places and hotel occupancy rates dropped by around 40% during the storm and recovery days. 

Conclusion 

Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia caused a lot of damage to the coastal areas of Sarasota. The water, internet, and electricity supplies were the main challenges. Various properties in Manasota Key, Casey Key, and Siesta Key witnessed serious impacts of heavy wide and wave. 

However, local authorities, agencies, businesses, and resque teams played a crucial role in quick response and recovery services. They cleaned up the blocked roads and provided food and safe places to people who needed them. 

The life-threatening storm significantly impacted the economy and tourism of the coastal areas. Many flights and cruises got cancelled and delayed because of the bad weather conditions. Businesses and theme park occupancy dropped by around 40% as they have to remain closed till 1st September. 

Though the impact of Siesta Key Hurricane Idalia was severe, no serious injuries were reported. The residents, expert teams and businesses took proper preparation and protection steps before the storm hit. 

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