LONGBOAT KEY (WSNN) – Tropical Storm ETA came and left the Suncoast very quickly, but not without leaving some damage behind.
“See the waterline, this is how high it came up,” Longboat Key Resident, Fred Kagi said.
Tropical Storm ETA flooded many homes on Longboat Key.
“30 minutes, I went to get something to eat, I was sitting here watching the storm,” Kagi said. “When I came back, I couldn’t even see the pool.”
And Kagi wasn’t the only one with flash flooding.
“At first it was just a little bit, we’ll just throw a towel down and get some sandbags, turn around, and it’s just rolling in like a waterfall coming in and it’s just like,” Longboat Key Resident Sandy Johnson said. “So we’re having it [the water] chase us through the house, trying to get the furniture up on blocks, the dressers and anything we can.”
Water went up about eight inches outside Johnson’s home.
“It is unusual; it hasn’t happened since we’ve been here for eight years,” Kagi said. “Irma came through – nothing, not a drop, and that was a big storm, but this one came through just perfect.”
The fire department had to even help rescue some from the high water.
“We had to have some special apparatus brought on, some high-level vehicles to be able to get some people out of their homes, Longboat Key Fire EMS spokesperson Tina Adams said. “Because of electrical purposes and so forth, some people chose to leave.”
Dave Kroth has only lived here for two months decided to brave the storm, and check on things outside. He discovered a boat cruising down the flooded streets.
“It was probably about hip-high, and I saw it floating about 50 feet away,” Kroth said. “I noticed this beautiful prize floating down the street, the ’S.S. Lois.’
Kroth tied up the boat found in what he says looked like a “dirty harbor.”
“I did what I could just to have it not float up on somebody’s property or barricade them in their house or who knows what could have happened,” Kroth said.
Flood companies are going around the area, helping those affected by ETA. And they’re telling me that if you were affected and have flooding in your home, you should close the doors and put your air conditioning around 72 to74 degrees. You want to keep your home cold to prevent molding.
If you have any flood damage from ETA, Manatee and Sarasota County government are asking you to report it
