Longboat Key Flood Insurance: What 1,865 Claims Paid in 10 Years

Most of the flood insurance money paid in Longboat Key in the last 10 years came from one storm, Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Longboat Key sits in two counties. The south part of the island is in Sarasota County and the north part is in Manatee County. FEMA counts the whole island as one NFIP community, the Town of Longboat Key, so the town's discount and claim record cover both parts. Of the town's 9,027 policies, 5,702 are on the Sarasota County side and 3,325 are on the Manatee County side. For the countywide numbers, read the Sarasota County flood insurance guide or the Manatee County flood insurance guide.

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Town of Longboat Key flood insurance in 5 numbers

What does flood insurance cost in the Town of Longboat Key?

Across every NFIP policy in the Town of Longboat Key, the average comes to $1,246 a year per policy. Treat it as an average per policy, not a price tag for a house. Condo units count one policy each. Longboat Key has 9,027 policies but only 3,028 policy records, because one condo building policy can cover many units. All those condo units pull the town average down, so a single-family Longboat Key home can pay far more or far less. Three things move your own price.

1. Same flood zone, very different prices. Your flood zone decides if a lender requires flood insurance. The price depends on the home itself: how high the first floor sits, what it would cost to rebuild, and how often that spot floods. On Longboat Key, almost every policy sits in an A or V zone, yet two homes on the same Longboat Key street can still get very different prices. An elevation certificate may lower an NFIP price. A lender must also accept a private policy that meets the federal rules.

2. The Town of Longboat Key's own 20% discount. The town runs its own floodplain program and earns its own Community Rating System (CRS) class. FEMA's Community Status Book lists the Town of Longboat Key as Class 6, good for a 20% discount on NFIP premiums for eligible policies. That class has held since May 1, 2020. Sarasota County and Manatee County each carry their own class, and neither one applies on the island. Under Risk Rating 2.0 the town's discount applies town-wide, on the Sarasota side and the Manatee side alike.

Look for the 20% on your declarations page. If your home is inside Town of Longboat Key limits, the CRS credit should be listed there. Check my address to confirm which NFIP community your home is in.

3. The town's own claim record. The Town of Longboat Key has 3,002 NFIP claims on record all time. Of those, 1,865 came in the last 10 years. With 97.8% of Longboat Key policies in a high-risk zone, that history is why lenders on the island ask for proof of flood coverage, and why it shapes your price.

ZIPs that cover part of Longboat Key, Sarasota County

One ZIP code covers Longboat Key. A ZIP code does not follow city limits. When a ZIP is shared, its numbers are for the whole ZIP, not only the Longboat Key part.

Longboat Key sits in both Sarasota County and Manatee County. ZIP 34228's numbers are for the whole ZIP, in both counties, not only Sarasota County.

* In this ZIP code, FEMA counts each condo unit as its own policy. That pulls the average far below what a house pays, so we show the policies and claims, not the average.

An average is not a price. Under Risk Rating 2.0, two homes in the same Longboat Key ZIP and the same flood zone can pay very different amounts.

Look up any Florida ZIP in the flood insurance by ZIP code table.

Check your Longboat Key address: which 2 maps matter?

On Longboat Key, one map tells you if a lender can require flood insurance. A second map tells you when to leave before a storm.

FEMA's flood study for Sarasota County lists zones A, AE, AH, AO, VE and X. That list is for the whole county, not checked for the town alone. VE is the coastal zone, where waves off the Gulf add to the risk. Zones that start with A or V are high-risk areas. If a Longboat Key home there has a federally backed mortgage, the owner must carry flood insurance.

See your zone on the official maps at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. The Sarasota County evacuation lookup covers the Sarasota side of the island. On the Manatee County side, ask Manatee County Emergency Management for your evacuation level. Your evacuation level is a different thing from your flood zone, so keep both with your storm plan.

An elevation certificate shows your first floor height against the base flood elevation. The Town of Longboat Key posts copies online for some properties, if one is on file: see the Town of Longboat Key's elevation certificate search page.

Sarasota and Manatee County numbers for Longboat Key residents

These are county offices. They serve Longboat Key residents too.

Inside town limits, flood rules and building permits come from the Town of Longboat Key, not from either county. Storm warnings, evacuation orders and evacuation centers come from the county your home is in. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Evacuation centers. Sarasota County keeps a list of 12 hurricane evacuation centers. Each one stays closed until the county opens it for a storm. None of them is on Longboat Key. Every center on the list is a Sarasota County site on the mainland. Before you go, check scgov.net or call 311 or (941) 861-5000 to see which centers are open. On the Manatee side, call Manatee County Emergency Management at (941) 749-3500.

If you live on the Sarasota side, have a medical need and will need help in a storm, sign up for the county's Medical Needs Program through 311 or (941) 861-5000 before storm season.

Town of Longboat Key storm links. Sign up for Alert Longboat Key, the Town of Longboat Key's own emergency alerts. Town storm news is on the Town of Longboat Key Hurricane Information page.

If your Longboat Key home floods: 5 steps

1. Get to safety first. Stay out of flood water, whether walking or driving.
2. Before any cleanup, photograph and film each room.
3. Call your insurance company and open the claim right away.
4. Write down every damaged item. Save each cleanup and repair receipt.
5. Talk to the Town of Longboat Key about permits before you repair or rebuild.

The substantial damage rule. When repairs cost half or more of the building's market value, federal rules label the home "substantially damaged." It then has to meet current flood rules, which can mean raising it. Across the last 10 years, flood insurance paid $200,431,393 on claims inside the Town of Longboat Key, so this rule matters to many Longboat Key owners. The town enforces its own flood rules, so ask the Town of Longboat Key how it counts the cost before work starts. Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage on an NFIP policy can help pay for that work.

5 Sarasota County storms behind these numbers

FEMA does not split storm claims by town. These rows are Sarasota County totals. The Town of Longboat Key's own figure is the $200,431,393 over 10 years shown above.

Three of these storms came in one year. In 2024, Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Debby together led to more than 7,700 NFIP claims across Sarasota County. Helene alone paid $618,352,258.

Buying a home on Longboat Key? Start here

97.8% of Town of Longboat Key policies are rated in a high-risk zone. If the home you want is in one and your loan is federally backed, the lender will want proof of flood insurance before closing. Ask the seller for the elevation certificate, and ask if the seller's flood policy can move to you at closing. For a condo, ask the association what its building flood policy covers.

NFIP flood policies have a 30-day waiting period. The big exception: if you buy the policy as part of getting, refinancing, increasing, extending or renewing a loan on the home, coverage can start at closing with no wait, as long as the application and payment are in by closing. If a new flood map just put your home in a high-risk zone, you can buy within 13 months of the map date and wait only one day. A lender asking for flood coverage partway through an existing loan does not skip the wait. Private flood policies set their own waiting periods, often shorter. On Longboat Key, line up flood insurance as soon as the contract is signed.

All major lenders accept private flood insurance under federal guidelines. The policy has to meet the federal definition of private flood insurance, so look for that statement on the policy or ask your lender. Private flood can cost less for some Longboat Key homes and more for others. What a lender can require.

Buying in Longboat Key? Start with the buyer guide

Town of Longboat Key flood insurance: 6 questions

What does flood insurance cost on Longboat Key? $1,246 a year per NFIP policy on average, from FEMA records as of July 2026. Condo units count one each, so it is not a single-family price. Your home sets your own price.

Does the Town of Longboat Key have a flood insurance discount? Yes. The town is Class 6 in FEMA's Community Rating System, worth 20% off NFIP premiums for eligible policies since May 1, 2020.

Is Longboat Key in Sarasota County or Manatee County? Both. The south part of the island is in Sarasota County and the north part is in Manatee County. FEMA rates the whole town as one NFIP community, so the 20% discount applies on both sides.

How long is the wait for a new flood policy? 30 days for a standard NFIP purchase. No wait when the policy is bought as part of getting, refinancing, increasing, extending or renewing a loan on the home. One day when a new flood map just placed the home in a high-risk zone (within 13 months of the map date).

What evacuation level am I in? On the Sarasota side, enter your Longboat Key address in Sarasota County's Know Your Evacuation Level lookup, or call 311 or (941) 861-5000. On the Manatee side, call Manatee County Emergency Management at (941) 749-3500. It is not the same as your FEMA flood zone.

Do I need flood insurance in zone X on Longboat Key? No lender has to require it in zone X. Few Longboat Key policies are outside the high-risk zones, and storm surge and heavy rain can reach homes there too.

Explore Sarasota County, Manatee County and Florida flood guides

• Sarasota County flood insurance: county numbers, storms and evacuation centers
• Manatee County flood insurance: the county that holds the north end of the island
• Charlotte County flood insurance: the next county down the Gulf coast
• City of St. Petersburg flood insurance: the Gulf coast city across Tampa Bay
• Florida flood insurance: the state picture
• The 30-day wait and its exceptions
• Flood insurance questions, answered

Sources: OpenFEMA NFIP policies and claims (FEMA, data as of July 4, 2026, split to the Town of Longboat Key by Census block group, with the Sarasota and Manatee County shares); FEMA NFIP Community Status Book, Town of Longboat Key row (read November 12, 2026); OpenFEMA NFIP claims for the Town of Longboat Key NFIP community (CID 125126, read November 14, 2026), storm names as FEMA records them; FEMA Flood Insurance Study, Sarasota County, flood zone designations (read November 10, 2026); OpenFEMA NFIP claims by storm, Sarasota County; Sarasota County Emergency Management, evacuation center and evacuation level pages (read November 4, 2026); Manatee County Emergency Management Division page (read November 8, 2026); U.S. Census Geocoder, evacuation center addresses checked against town limits (read November 12, 2026); Town of Longboat Key elevation certificate search page (read November 13, 2026); U.S. Census 2020 and 2024 Gazetteer.

Lender says you need flood insurance? Read what the law requires and what you still choose.

Own a business, condo or apartment building in Longboat Key? Read the Florida commercial flood insurance guide.

Page data last verified 2026-11-12. Every figure links to the federal or county record it came from.