Lance and Nichol Fountaine moved to Siesta Key from Tennessee in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic made it possible to work remotely.
They love the island life and the community on the key, but after their home flooded six times in 14 months they are exhausted, frustrated and contemplating moving.
Nichol Fountaine says she has “PTSD” from all the water in her home, with every storm bringing a wave of anxiety.
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The storm surge from Hurricane Helene last month was the most devastating, pushing three feet of water into the Fountaine’s three-bedroom 1960s home on Banan Place.
Hurricane Milton just added to the misery when it made landfall on Siesta Wednesday and delivered two feet of storm surge into the Fountaine’s house.
“I’m done,” Nichol said. “I love it, I’ll visit it but I don’t want to live it anymore.”
The Fountaines are an extreme example of the situation many Siesta Key residents find themselves in right now after a wave of devastating flooding on the island.
Their property was hit by storm surge floods from Helene, Milton and two previous storms, and flooding from heavy rains in two other storms. Some of the flooding they blame on a county drainage project. That situation was resolved earlier this year, Lance said, acknowledging the recent flooding would’ve happened regardless of the drainage issue.
Each time they tried to restore the house to “perfect” condition, only to see the water come in again.
After Helene “it was like a bomb went off,” Nichol said. The flood waters knocked over their refrigerator and flipped an air conditioning unit upside down. Milton added to the wreckage, knocking down trees and a fence.
The Fountaine’s have two active insurance claims and are planning to file a third with Milton. They also have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recoup expenses that insurance won’t cover. The storm clean up is exhausting, but so is the paperwork.
Nichol is ready to leave the island. Lance is frustrated too.
“We’ll have to see where the insurance lands,” he said when asked if they definitely plan to sell.
Their expenses keep mounting.
“We can’t keep throwing money into it and expecting different results,” Nichol said.
“It’s insane,” Lance said.
“It’s the definition of insanity,” Nichol said.
After checking on their island house Thursday, the day after Milton made landfall, the Fountaines were heading to their son’s apartment in Sarasota. Their son had been living in a cottage on their Siesta property, but was forced to move by Helene’s flooding.
Lance believes Sarasota County should focus on improving infrastructure on Siesta for existing residents instead of new development, pointing to the battle over new hotel projects on the island.
Lance works in “smart manufacturing,” redesigning systems for digital adoption. He considers his family upper middle class. He wonders if people like him will be able to afford to live on Siesta in the near future.
With all the flooding, older, cheaper homes that are greater flood risks because they weren’t elevated will be torn down. Expensive new homes will be built, driving up property values.
Insurance costs also are becoming prohibitively expensive. The Fountaines pay $18,000 a year for home insurance.
“We’re getting priced out,” Lance said.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.