• Reserve strengthening: Over five years, we methodically increased our reserves without imposing special assessments or major fee hikes.
• Insurance optimization: Working closely with our insurance broker, we expanded coverage to ensure that every structure, facility, and shared asset was protected.
• Hurricane deductible funding: We established a dedicated account specifically to cover hurricane deductibles— an oftenoverlooked step that allowed us to mobilize repairs immediately after the storms.
Because of these efforts, we began recovery work on Day 1 after the hurricanes passed— without waiting for external aid or raising funds from residents.
Becoming in-housemanaged— and smarter for it
Several years ago, after multiple unsatisfactory experiences with third-party management companies, the board made a pivotal decision: We hired a Community Manager with deep operational experience, built a dedicated maintenance and support team, and strategically outsourced specialized services like accounting, payables, and payroll to professional firms.
This hybrid approach gave us the expertise of CPAs and HR professionals while maintaining direct control of operations and decision-making. When the hurricanes hit, this system proved invaluable— our team could approve payments, coordinate contractors, and process payroll remotely even while parts of the community were inaccessible. We also digitized our financial and administrative workflows:
• Automated banking and ACH payments ensured steady income during the crisis.
• Cloud-based systems let us manage operations from anywhere.
• Real-time communication channels allowed immediate updates to residents, staff, and vendors.
The power of having a comprehensive hurricane plan
Under the leadership of our Community Manager, Tropic Isles developed a detailed hurricane preparedness and recovery plan— not just a checklist, but a living document that guided every decision before, during, and after the storms.
The plan covered:
• Pre-storm operations: securing facilities, staging generators and fuel, communicating evacuation timelines.
• During the storm: maintaining critical systems and remote communication.
• Post-storm recovery: prioritizing utilities( water, sewer, power), coordinating debris removal, and restoring essential community functions
When Helene made landfall, we immediately activated our plan. Within hours of the storm’ s passage, our Maintenance Supervisor cleared debris from storm drains, allowing water to drain quickly. Board members and staff conducted rapid damage assessments, and by that evening, the Tropic Isles Recovery Center was operational inside the auditorium.
Rapid recovery: Community in action
By the morning after the storm, we had already contracted with a restoration provider to begin water extraction, drying, and remediation across all facilities. Our Community Manager coordinated with City and County Emergency Management, securing food, tarps, and supplies for residents and volunteers. The maintenance crew powered lift stations and key buildings with generators, re-establishing water and sewer service within days— a critical milestone that enabled broader recovery.
In an extraordinary act of coordination and care, volunteer teams:
• Shut off water and electricity to every single home to prevent secondary damage.
• Documented every property with photographs posted on our community Facebook page so displaced residents could see their home’ s condition.
• Assisted neighbors with debris removal and initial cleanup.
Through the efforts of our Community Manager, we mobilized over 200 volunteers from the greater Palmetto area. They cleared debris, moved damaged aluminum and household waste to the curbs, and helped prepare the community for professional cleanup crews. continued on page 32
Plans for keeping Tropic Isles safe were made long before the hurricanes arrived— years before. They made certain the community was covered for both financial and physical clean-up.
WWW. CAIWESTFlORIDA. ORg community • June 2026 31