Caspersen Beach has long road to recovery after 2024 hurricane season: 'It won't stop me from coming'
The Brief
Sarasota County's Caspersen Beach is a popular destination to hunt for shark teeth.
Officials warn that hurricane recovery will take a while.
The beach was eroded by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and essentially washed away by storms Debby, Helene, and Milton just four years later.
CASPERSEN BEACH, Fla. - Sarasota County is warning that it has a long road to recovery from last year's hurricane season.
Hurricane Irma eroded Caspersen Beach in 2017. Then, during the 2024 hurricane season, storms Debby, Helene, and Milton left Caspersen in ruins.
Dig deeper
The park remains closed as Sarasota County said repairs will take a long time.
"It's so rare, people from where we live have never heard of going out and finding shark teeth," said Douglas Ordway.
Caspersen Beach draws visitors from across the world, with many hunting for shark teeth of all sizes and kinds.
This year, Ordway's visit from Ohio looks a lot different.
READ: Massive great white shark among several being tracked off Florida coast
"We can't get back to the access miles that you're used to. That means we're walking at least a mile where you like to hunt for shells and shark teeth now," Ordway said.
The road to Caspersen Beach has been washed away, leaving only a large pile of rubble.
"We saw damage from Debby and then Helene, significantly. We lost about half of the road and then some of the parking spaces," said Nicole Rissler, with Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources. "Obviously, Milton took everything; (the) roadside, infrastructure, parking spaces that were close to the beach all got destroyed."
What's next
With significant erosion, Rissler said Sarasota County will work to find a resilient long-term fix.
"Mother nature is pushing in and on itself there," Rissler said.
Sarasota County said it will work with the City of Venice on options for future access.
Contractors have been selected and are beginning the evaluation process.
"As we go to look at investing in infrastructure for access moving forward, we want to make sure we are doing something resilient and not something the next storm will wash away," Rissler said.
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One thing the storm damage won't keep away are those drawn to the shark's tooth capital of the world.
"It won't stop me from coming. No. Venice is one of our favorite areas," Ordway said.
Click here to find out the latest on park conditions in Sarasota County.
The Source
FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon collected the information in this story.
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