Sarasota community continues to rebuild one year after Debby

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFTS) — One year after Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, residents in a Sarasota neighborhood are still trying to rebuild their lives and homes.

The Category 1 hurricane made landfall near Steinhatchee on Aug. 5, 2024, with winds near 80 mph. The slow-moving storm stalled over the state, dumping up to 20 inches of rain and triggering widespread flash flooding. Eighteen people were killed across the United States and Canada, and damage from the storm was estimated at $4.5 billion.

In Sarasota County, the Laurel Meadows neighborhood was one of the hardest hit areas. More than 80 homes flooded when stormwater overwhelmed the area’s drainage systems. County officials later confirmed that a previously uninspected breach in a berm separating Cowpen Slough and Phillippi Creek funneled excess water into the community, compounding the effects of the storm.

WATCH: One year ago Hurricane Debby made landfall; Sarasota community continues to rebuild

“It was an unfair situation we were dealt,” said resident Jeff Schermerhorn. “It wasn’t a tidal surge, it wasn’t a creek overflowing. It was just slow, painful, and it didn’t go away for five days.”

Schermerhorn and his neighbor, Allison Cavallaro, are among dozens of homeowners still working to repair damages. Many residents were not in a designated FEMA flood zone and lacked flood insurance at the time of the storm.

“We dipped into IRAs, put liens on homes, or paid out of pocket,” Cavallero said. “One year, one month to the day, everything we worked hard for and paid outright for just washed away right to the curb.”

Sarasota County officials have since repaired the berm and conducted stormwater infrastructure reviews. Public Works Director Spencer Anderson said the area received far more rainfall than the local systems were designed to handle.

“We saw rainfall totals well beyond a 100-year storm,” Anderson said in a press briefing after the storm.

Despite improvements, the emotional and financial toll of the storm continues to weigh on residents.

“You don’t want to relive it,” Cavallaro said. “But you have to deal with it because it’s still your reality.”

As hurricane season continues, families in Laurel Meadows are urging others, regardless of where they live, to consider adding flood insurance.

“Get better insurance than just your minimal,” Cavallaro said. “It’s worth the money. It’s probably like a Starbucks coffee a day.”