Hurricane-ravaged communities hope to draw in tourists as rebuilding continues

Yahoo

5 days ago

Some areas along Florida's Gulf Coast are still rebuilding after being slammed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which hit the Sunshine State back-to-back during the 2024 hurricane season.
But the hot-spot tourist communities are also trying to share a simple, but vital message that they're open for business.
Caddy's Waterfront Restaurant in Treasure Island, Florida, has set up a temporary restaurant in a parking lot next door, complete with a food truck, as its physical building undergoes repairs from last year's storms.
"We have all the tables. We have a full bar. We have the TVs. We have the sound, the music. It really is a restaurant that we built from the ground up," said Stephen Santasieri, the general manager of Caddy's.
Santasieri said it was important to get his employees back up and running and just as important to get tourists to come back.
"I think that tourism has not been where it was. We've been getting quite a bit of tourism around the holidays, though, which has been great," he said.
Tourism impact on the Gulf coast
Tourism is the main economic engine for communities along the Gulf Coast. Last year, more than 15 million visitors had an $11 billion impact on the St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Florida, area.
This year, it remains to be seen. While businesses and hotels are back up and running, scars from the storms remain.
In Madeira Beach, more than 1,400 structures were damaged. The city has issued about as many building permits as it has residents, around 2,000.
"We were consumed by the Gulf," said Madeira Beach city manager Robin Gomez about when Hurricane Helene hit. "The surge pushed up, upwards of 7 feet."
After struggling to rebuild, businesses are thankful for the support they've received and are hopeful for the future.
"We have a lot of families that come every year, that are still coming, but we just need more support from everyone right now," said Savannah Huskie, the store manager of The Bronze Lady in Madeira Beach.
For some, there's still work to do.
"When you live here, you have to expect something like that can happen," said Andreas Bieri, one of the owners of The Mucky Duck Bar and Restaurant, a staple in Captiva Island, Florida, for decades.
They started the restaurant 50 years ago before it was leveled by last year's fierce storms, but Bieri says they still feel lucky while continuing to rebuild nine months later.
"I can't really complain too much that you know, we are here. We see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are rebuilding everything … and we hope to be back in business by Christmas."
While the past destruction is still fresh in their minds, the coastal communities haven't forgotten about the upcoming hurricane season.
"It's always in my mind. But we'll be prepared. We're ready, and it's just something you have to — living in this environment, this is what we call our 'two miles long and a smile wide' in our paradise, but it does come with a little bit of cost … the price we pay for living next to the Gulf," Gomez said.
2025 NOAA Atlantic hurricane season forecast
Last month, NOAA announced its forecast for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, predicting a 60% chance of an above-normal season.
NOAA expects between 13 and 19 named storms, with six to 10 of them becoming hurricanes. Forecasters said around three to five could become major hurricanes.
The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season saw 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes, which is defined as a Category 3 or larger storm.
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