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Longboat Key residents determined to rebuild

Rebuild Determined

The Seabaugh family was in the dark, literally and figuratively, when Hurricane Milton hit.

The strong winds knocked out power and Wi-Fi, making it impossible for them to check on their property through their home’s security cameras. For nearly two days, as the entrances to their community remained closed after the storm, they wondered if their beloved home of eight years was still standing or washed away to the sea.

“We didn’t know what we were going to come back to,” Scott Seabaugh said. The Seabaughs had already dealt with serious damage. When Hurricane Helene hit, their home was flooded with an estimated 3 feet of water.

They managed to tear out damaged walls, flooring, kitchen cabinets, and furniture just as Milton, a threatened “one in a 100-year storm,” bore down on Florida. “And then it’s like, oh my gosh, we could lose the property again,” Seabaugh said. The state’s barrier islands, of which Longboat Key is a part, normally avoid the worst of hurricanes.

Not this time. Forecasts predicted a 10-15-foot storm surge, prompting a mandatory evacuation order. Residents like the Seabaughs, who sheltered with their daughter in Venice during the storm, feared the worst.

The Seabaughs finally got their answer on Friday morning when the bridges to Longboat Key opened to the public: their home was still standing. “We got very lucky here,” Seabaugh said. “So clearly, we didn’t get the kind of surge that they were anticipating and just came back to two beautiful cottages.”

Underneath the storm debris littering the streets and trees ripped from their roots, the beauty of Longboat Key is obvious.

Residents described the community as kind, tight-knit, and worth the gamble of future storms. It’s why Sharon Austin moved from Chicago to her two-bedroom home feet from the water earlier this year. She closed on her home on May 1.

“I’m done raising my kids. They’re both in college. And this was gonna be my little paradise,” Austin said.

“It still will be.”

Austin’s home sustained some wind damage from Milton, but it was the unexpected destruction brought by Helene, her very first hurricane, that left her home essentially unlivable. “It was like a little tsunami just came flooding in, and that’s where all this damage is from,” she said, pointing to her torn-up walls and floors. She fled to a nearby hotel during Milton’s approach.

“I’m definitely gonna stay and rebuild,” Austin said.

Rebuilding after hurricanes

“There’s nothing like Longboat Key.”

The friendly residents and tight-knit community play a significant role in their determination to stay.

“When I first came back into my place, I just got emotional because I was so overwhelmed. But then after a while of cleaning up, I realized, ‘No, look at this. This is paradise here,'” Austin said.

“This made it through two hurricanes. The foundation is still standing. I most definitely will stay and rebuild.

And most of the owners feel the same way.”

Scott Seabaugh is motivated to keep his home for the future, not just for himself but for his daughter and her eventual children. When he and his wife first bought the property in 2016, they were visited by family members of the original builder of the home, an emotional experience that underscored the meaningful memories associated with the place. “We’re fortunate to eventually have grandchildren,” he said, gesturing to his daughter, Sydney Rendel.

“I want my kids and their kids to be able to enjoy it. Hopefully, God willing, that it’s still here.”

Seabaugh said he and his wife are realistic about the challenges. It will probably be another three months before they can move back into their cottage after fixing Helene’s and Milton’s damage.

They’ve submitted insurance claims to make repairs but wonder what might happen if their home is completely wiped out in a future storm. “As much as you want to stick to that idea [of staying here], financially, there’s some point in time where you have to say, uncle. Where I just can’t afford it,” he said.

Because of that, Rendel and her husband are already saving up and making plans to own the home one day. Austin is planning for the future too. After her experience, she aims to better prepare herself and her home with hurricane-proof materials for future storms.

“It’s a stressful and emotionally exhausting experience,” she said, “But this was, what, a 1-in-100-year storm. So I guess I got another 100 years. I’ll be dead by then,” she added, laughing.

Despite the serious threats posed by storms and climate change, Austin believes the risk of staying in Longboat Key remains worth it. “I could go back to Chicago, where I grew up,” she said. “Then I’ve got snowstorms.

So yeah, pick your vice.”

April Isaacs

April Isaacs is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of experience. From the art scene in Paris to pastures in Montana, April has covered individuals' stories and can confirm that no two stories are the same.
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