LONGBOAT KEY

an island paradise
on the Gulf Coast of Florida

by Michael Hodges, resident - updated August 2009
email

Most year-around residents say Longboat Key
is the most beautiful place in the world 

A most breath-taking view
is looking West to the Gulf of Mexico, then East to the Bay,
as one approaches Longboat Key from the north via the Longboat Pass Bridge
- especially at sun-set or sun-rise -

This web site was created for friends and neighbors - a collection of various items regarding my home-town of Longboat Key - - a wonder-place in nature of breath-taking beauty and great people.

If one performs an internet search by Google, with the key words 'Longboat Key', over 12,000 web page sites will be found. Suppose you just want some basic information about Longboat Key, or a map of Longboat or directions to a destination on Longboat or from LBK to another location in the USA, or a local weather forecast and/or storm information (reports, radar, satellite), population data, town government information or some key links - - without wading through 12,000 mostly commercial-oriented items? That's the purpose of this web page.

Residents interested in recommending other items of local interest as additions to this page - may contact me by email or phone 383-3541.

About Longboat Key

Longboat Key is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, located off-shore from Sarasota and Bradenton on the west coast of Florida, south of Tampa.

Longboat Key, an incorporated town with the northern portion in Manatee County and the southern portion in Sarasota County, is served by a single road-way (Gulf of Mexico Drive) between an opening bridge at the north end and one at the south end. Longboat Key and its beaches stretch south-easterly 10.8 miles in length along the glittering waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It's less than one mile wide, encompassing 4.3 square miles in area. Full time residents number about 8,000. During the winter vacation season the population expands another 12,000. Average resident age is 66. Single-family homes number 1,697, condominiums 5,687, mobile homes 286, and tourist units 1,612 - - totaling 7,681 units, of which approx. 40% are owner-occupied. < Regarding the map at the left - - if you click your mouse on the map you will be taken to a site where you can zoom this map out in size or narrow down its focus. At that site one also can view a map of a Longboat Key street address - - if in the search box where it says 'Street Address' you type in the name of your street address and then click the 'Get Map' button. To find your own Longboat map location, click on the above map - - and, on the page that then follows, type your street address as indicated above. (If you would like a driving map from anywhere on Longboat Key to anywhere else in the USA, see 'Maps & Charts' below).

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QUICK LINKS TO MAJOR SECTIONS

Weather and storm tracking - - Road Maps & Nautical Charts (and tides)

Sites of Interest - - Government - - Web Pages of Residents

Weather and storm tracking

Since Longboat Key is a barrier island, smart residents closely follow weather news. In following the weather, especially during hurricane season, I have found the following internet links most useful. 

HELPFUL LINKS > >

GENERAL WEATHER
Longboat Key Weather Forecast - - Marine forecast - - Sarasota Radar - - Local Satellite - - Tide St. Peterburg
Local Radar snap-shot, and animated (give the animated pix a chance to load to view weather movements)
Caribbean & Gulf of Mexico Satellite (animated loop) - Miami Satellite - Miami Loop Satellite - Miami Radar
Melbourne Radar - National Weather Service (north of Miami) - Key West Weather/Radar
Radar All USA Sites - Satellite All Sites - Eastern Atlantic Satellite off Africa

Historically, mid August and September have been the most active periods for storm threats to the Longboat Key area. Here is a chart showing the main storm season by month since 1885, (Hurricane forecaster William Gray, Colorado State University professor, 'each year has an average 9.3 named storms, 5.8 hurricanes and 2.2 major hurricanes.')

STORM REPORTS AND TRACKING
(for a given tropical storm or hurricane, periodically I check it via the first 4 links below)
1. Current Storm Position & Projected Track Map - the greatest of all pictures, showing all active tropical storms/hurricanes.
2. National Hurricane Center - tropical prediction center - scroll down to "Atlantic & Caribbean & Gulf of Mexico'' and click 'Forecast Discussion' for any listed storm name - - after reading this, click the small graphic called 'Warnings & 5 Day Cone' to see the projected storm track.
3. Tracking Computer Models - current storms. Scroll down to Atlantic Advisories and click 'computer models'
4. Caribbean & Gulf of Mexico Satellite (animated loop) - this is a very important moving graphic
5. Strike Probabilities St. Petersburg
6. Strike Probabilities Miami
7. Tropical Storm Report - from U. of Hawaii - - one of the best, nation-wide
8. National Weather Service
9. FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency

STORM HISTORY- reviewing the past helps provide insight regarding future storm tracks >
The Season for Atlantic Hurricanes (since 1944) has been mid August to mid October, with mid-August to late September the prime period for major hurricanes (category 3 or above) in more recent years.

Hurricane Katrina, in August 2005, was the most devastating and destructive hurricane in recent U.S. history. Katrina first hit the east coast of Florida just north of Miami as a category 1 (75 mph) hurricane on 25 August 2005, crossed the state and entered the Gulf of  Mexico. For the next four days Katrina proceeded northwest up the Gulf of Mexico, increasing in size and strength - - reaching category 5 status with wind speed of 150 knots (175 mph) by 28 August and pushing huge waves forward. On Monday 29 August 2005 Katrina  made landfall just east of New Orleans as a category 4 storm with wind speed at 130 knots (approx. 149 mph).  Massive destruction and loss of life ocurred for hundreds of miles along the Gulf coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, caused by wind but primarily by huge (18-22 ft.) storm surges all along the north-central Gulf coast - - which also over-topped protective levees in the greater New Orleans area flooding 80% of the city.
The strongest storm to hit Florida was 'Hurricane Andrew', making landfall just south of Miami on 28 August 1992 with sustained winds at 145 mph (125 kt), gusting to 175 mph (150 kt). Since 'Andrew', the strongest to hit Florida was 'Hurricane Charlie' on 13 August 2004, which proceeded north from the Carribean, across western Cuba, making landfall with an unexpected right turn (which negated a storm surge) into SW Florida at Caya Costa and then Punta Gorda (north of Ft. Meyers) as a category 4 storm at 150 mph (130 kt), with the eyewall striking neighboring Port Charlotte with devastating wind destruction. Continuing north-northeastward at a slightly faster forward speed, the hurricane traversed the central Florida peninsula, resulting in a swath of destruction across the state from Arcadia to Orlando as Charlie spawned  9 tornadoes, finally emerging into the Atlantic as a category one hurricane.

Below are graphics for all storms in recent years:
2009 storms - all area storms 2009
2008 storms - all area storms 2008
2007 storms - all area storms 2007
2006 storms - all area storms 2006
2005 storms - all area storms 2005
2004 storms - all area storms 2004
2003 storms - all area storms 2003
2002 storms - all area storms 2002
2001 storms - all area storms 2001
2000 storms - all area storms 2000
1999 storms - all area storms 1999
1998 storms - all area storms 1998

NOTE: Everyone in residence during hurricane season should have a well thought-out action plan, including pre-thinking where you (and any pets) will go in case of evacuation. Although my wife and I evacuated ourselves only twice during our 27 years of residence on Longboat Key, we still watch the weather most carefully while making our own storm plots. Although public officials will do their best to assist, in the end we are each responsible for ourselves and our loved ones. The above weather links, coupled with staying tuned to local T-V, should assist all.

Many wise residents keep a blank storm plotting-chart handy, and enter the latitude and longitude coordinates on a tracking map in order to track a storm's progress. Go to Hurricane tracking map and print-out that page so you are ready to be self-informed. Observing the progress of your plots of a given storm, on a daily basis, provides great confidence regarding knowing where a given storm is and what it appears to be doing.

Bottom-line: never be afraid - - stay cool and informed.

Other Longboat Key weather info -

Average Temperature: 73 F, average Gulf Temp: 75 F, average Rainfall: 53.09 inches

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Road Maps & Nautical Charts (and tides)

Driving Map & Instructions from Longboat Key to anywhere in the USA and Canada. Click the 'Driving Map' link at the left, and on the page that then appears locate the trip 'destination' box, into which you type the address of your destination, and then click the button titled 'Get directions'. A new web page will appear with a detailed route list, an over-all map from LBK to your destination, plus a detailed map of the area of destination. These can be printed. (as an example of what you will see, click Grand Rapids to see the routing and maps we use to visit our grandchildren - if, in addition to the city, we put in the street address one can zoom in or out to any scale we choose)

Longboat Key nautical chart - Centered at latitude N 27° 24' 43" N , longitude W 82° 39' 33" W. To view charts of other areas, at top of the page that appears type the location and then in drop-down box click the state. Example: type in Sarasota Bay (or Longboat Pass, or Egmont Key, etc.) and then click Florida in drop box, then use the red arrows to work up or down the chart. Here's the chart for Longboat Pass, the one for New Pass , the one for Big Sarasota Pass and a section of Sarasota Bay north of Ringling Bridge which can be expanded north or south. (Each displayed chart can be printed if when viewing you click its 'Print this map' button, sent to a friend via the 'email this map' button, or saved on your computer's favorites folder via its 'save this location' button.)

Sarasota Area Tides - - for tidal info for other Area tides along the U.S. Gulf Coast sites, including Tampa Bay, Venice, etc.

Area highway road map - click blue arrows at top of map to zoom in for close up view, or zoom out for expanded views

Hurricane tracking map - - print-out this chart and enter your own plots for a given storm to follow progress

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Sites of Interest

Longboat Art Center - - Longboat Chamber of Commerce - - Longboat Observer Newspaper

Government

The island of Longboat key was incorporated as a township in November 1955. The Town is governed by a seven (7) member Town Commission, each serving a two-year term - with 5 commissioners voted by district and two at large. The Mayor is elected for a two-year term by the Town Commission. Administration is under a Town Manager, who reports to the Commission, and manages departments for building, planning and zoning, finance, water & sewer, police and fire/rescue. Town Hall is located at 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Fl. 34228 ; telephone - (941) 316-1999.

Commissioners: Mayor - Joan Webster (District 4), Vice Mayor - Leo Rothenberg (District 1), George Spoll (District 2), Robert Siekman (at large), Peter O'Connel (District 3), Jeremy Wathmough (District 5), and Randall Clair (at large).

Town Government of Longboat Key - this new web site, created by Town government staff, provides generalized information, such as: commissioner terms, commission meetings, town departments, public safety, permits, utility bills, career opportunities, etc.
Hopefully, Town Government will add to its web site key financial information to better assure citizens are fully informed about current financial status and its comparison with history.

Web Pages of Residents

Which Longboat residents have their own non-commercial web pages published on the internet that may be of interest to others? Residents with such personal web pages may send Michael Hodges an email with their name, home address & phone number and web page address for consideration:

Rusty Chinnis is the Outdoor Editor of the Longboat Observer

Grandfather Economic Report - Michael Hodges - showing threatening economic and education trends impacting the future of our children and grandchildren.

Sailing off-shore from Longboat Key - Sandpiper, a 35' cruising sailing vessel - home port is Longboat Key, for 20+ years.

Longboat Key activities - by Bob Parrish, resident

Thanks for your visit.

I hope you found useful information. Consider saving this page to your web browser's 'favorites' if you would like to visit again. Residents interested in recommending other items of possible local interest as additions to this page - may contact Mike Hodges by email or phone 383-3541.

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Longboat Key - my home-town, by Michael Hodges

at http://mwhodges.home.att.net/lbk/lbk.htm