Gov. DeSantis tours Sarasota County as residents recover from flood damage after Tropical Storm Debby [Video]

SARASOTA, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis visited Sarasota County for the first time since Tropical Storm Debby caused major flooding.

On Wednesday, DeSantis visited several businesses in Sarasota County that flooded during the storm.

“They’ve poured their heart and souls into these endeavors,” DeSantis said.

The governor says at least hundreds of people in Sarasota County area faced significant flooding.

“Probably going to be a need for some temporary housing,” DeSantis said. “Probably going to be a need for some business support.”

Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar has been closed since the storm, after dealing with significant flooding inside the restaurant.

“We didn’t expect to go this high,” General Manager Ricky Orduna said. “It went about a foot and a half, and normally it gets about an inch. Maybe two inches at the most.”

Sarasota County says it received a total of more than 300 storm-related calls on Monday and Tuesday.

The Florida Department of …