Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Seeks Stormwater Rate Increase, but Audit Finds Millions Available

New Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine, who has proposed raising annual rates by more than one-fourth, on average—but the recommendation contradicts a newly released audit

09/05/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Michael Barfield/Florida Trident

Storm Spotters

Sarasota County Is Partnering With the National Weather Service to Offer Free Weather Safety Training

Love weather and helping others? The National Weather Service's free online SKYWARN seminar on Aug. 16 is for you.

08/12/2025 By Lauren Jackson

The Tropics

High Sea Surface Temperatures, Dissipating Saharan Dust and More: Conditions For Hurricane Formation Are Becoming Ideal

Watch out for storm development in the tropical Atlantic this week.

08/04/2025 By Bob Bunting

After the Storms

Ten Severely Hurricane-Damaged City Parks Are Now in the Permitting Phase of Recovery

Work is expected to begin in 2026.

08/04/2025 By Staff

Hurricane Prep

Sarasota County to Open Voluntary Self-Service Sandbag Stations

The sites will be open on June 14, July 19 and Aug. 10 so residents can pickup free empty bags and sand to help prepare for potential storms.

06/06/2025 By Staff

Tropical Update

Keep Your Eyes on the Tropics This Month

June can be a concerning month for the Suncoast, because storms form in the southern Caribbean and then move northward through the Yucatan area into the Gulf.

06/02/2025 By Bob Bunting

Collateral Damage

What Are Natural Disasters Doing to Our Mental Health?

Hurricanes wreak havoc on our houses and businesses, but just as serious is the harm to our mental health.

05/30/2025 By Megan McDonald

Be Prepared

How to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through November 30. Here's how to get ready.

05/29/2025 By Staff

Not an April Fool's Joke

Climate Adaptation Center Predicts 17 Named Storms, 10 Hurricanes and Five Major Hurricanes for 2025

We'd love to say we're pulling an April fool's joke, but record-high ocean temperatures and other meteorological conditions tell a different story.

04/01/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Waste Water

The Historic Hurricane Season Flexed Its Muscles. A Suncoast Sewage Crisis Followed.

From the Manatee River to Sarasota Bay, 177.8 million gallons of wastewater were released last hurricane season.

02/26/2025 By Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight

After the Storm

After Hurricane Devastation, the Suncoast Is Grappling With a Category 5 Economic Storm

From the onset of Debby through the immediate aftermath of Milton, businesses across the Suncoast suffered $187 million in direct revenue losses from customers compared to the same three months the year before.

02/21/2025 By Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight

Hurricane Relief

The Deadline to Apply for FEMA Hurricane Relief Assistance Is Jan. 7

If you have damage from both storms, you will need to apply separately for both disasters.

01/06/2025 By Staff

Hurricane Relief

City of Sarasota Storm Debris Collection Concludes Tomorrow

The city’s storm debris collection contractors have collected 318,404 cubic yards, or 445,766 tons, of storm debris since the hurricanes made landfall.

12/19/2024 By Staff

Year in Review

The Most Notable Real Estate Stories of 2024

New developments galore. A catastrophic hurricane season. Record sales. Headway on affordable housing. It was quite a year for the local real estate market.

12/18/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Only in Sarasota

After the Hurricanes, Heavy-Duty Earth Movers Cleared the Roads

On Anna Maria Island, tractors pushed sand that had washed over the island’s main arteries into giant piles.

12/01/2024 Illustrations by John Pirman

Still Standing

After an Unprecedented Hurricane Season, Residents Say They're Determined to Come Back Stronger

We're sharing stories of tragedy and resilience and talking to residents and business owners about how the storms have upended their lives, their finances and their plans for the future.

11/20/2024

Information Overload

Why Was There So Much Disinformation After Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

Rumors and untruths proliferated as Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed communities. Why do we keep falling for them?

11/20/2024 By Megan McDonald

The Climate Connection

Climate Change Is Making Extreme Weather More Common and More Dangerous

This year's storms were the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have struck our area in recent years.

11/20/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

The Aftermath

Local Residents and Business Owners Pick Up the Pieces After a Catastrophic Hurricane Season

“You jump the first hurdle, then get a giant kick to the gut. That’s what’s been so traumatizing.”

11/20/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Q & A

Three Local Realtors Share Their Thoughts on Sarasota's Post-Hurricane Residential Real Estate Market

Debi Reynolds, Terrence Cook and Tony Barrett discuss the effects of an unprecedented hurricane season on the local market, which was already experiencing a shift.

11/19/2024 By Kim Doleatto