The amendment comes after an unprecedented stretch of storms battered Florida’s Gulf Coast over the past several years. Since September 2022, Sarasota County has experienced five hurricanes — Ian, Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton — that caused widespread flooding and wind damage and helped drive disaster-related spending to $352 million over the past decade, according to county records.
Milton accounted for the largest share of those costs. County staff reported spending $152.4 million on 140 Milton-related projects to date — more than any other recent storm. Ian generated nearly $94 million in costs, while Debby added another $54.6 million.
The county’s spending on declared disasters has shot up by 193% since September 2022, right before Hurricane Ian barreled into southwest Florida. Although most of the funding is expected to be reimbursed by federal and state authorities, Sarasota County must first cover the costs itself.
The budget amendment covers both ongoing and planned recovery projects, giving commissioners and the public a clearer picture of how much the county is spending on the efforts, said Kim Radtke, the county’s director of financial management, who made the budget request and spoke before the board on Wednesday, as part of two wide-ranging county budget meetings…