Florida has been a great vacation state to many people over the years but every three years, it sadly ends up getting hit by a hurricane. One hurricane every time is enough to do plenty of damage, let alone TWO hurricanes like this year which were : Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
These hurricanes hitting one after another were tragic weather events that occurred and led to people losing their homes and businesses that they have had for many years and have put their hard work and money into. To see them just get destroyed and float away is devastating.
However, there is some hope in rebuilding. Parts of Florida that were hit badly are getting back to their beautiful selves as homes and businesses are already rebuilt and reopened! I can see this to be true when visiting one of the places hit badly called Bradenton Beach in Anna Maria Island.
My family and I recently visited Bradenton Beach. We had visited the island last year at this time and truly enjoyed the shops along Bridge Street, a quaint little Christmas Village for the holiday. We especially frequented a locally owned candy shop called The Fudge Factory. After seeing videos of the devastation to the shop we were concerned what state we would find it in. To our delight, the owners were able to rebuild just in time for Christmas on Bridge Street! And other than the sand still covering the sidewalks and some debris scattered about, you would not even know a storm had hit. It looks the same as it did last year when my family visited the local shop for their delicious fudge, ice cream, candy and more!
First in line for The Fudge Factory’s annual homemade candy cane making tradition, Kristy Nole and her daughter Hope Nole were met by the Tampa news who were there reporting on the Fudge Factory’s reopening.
“We made our first trip to the island in 2023 and just fell in love with it!” Kristy Nole said on camera. “When we returned just recently, we were devastated to see the destruction to the town caused by the hurricanes. However, it was so inspiring to witness the resilience and restoration of the local community as evidenced by the annual Christmas celebration on Bridge Street where we visited local store owners who rebuilt and reopened their doors to the public just in time for the holidays.”
It was inspiring to see so many locals and tourists back on the streets enjoying the festivities and patronizing the local establishments. Gracie Guiliano spent the night visiting with family and friends.
“It showed good positivity on Anna Marie Island that they can come together and rebuild their island back to the way it used to be,” Gracie said. “Even with the damages we still had a good time there.”
Guiliano enjoyed her experience visiting Florida, despite the hurricane damage.
“I like Bridge Street because it is like its own little town within a town. The candy store I was glad reopened and they rebuilt,” she stated.
The damage was not just contained to Bradenton Beach. The hurricanes extended across the entire peninsula of Florida. One local social worker, Mrs. Hoyer, has a family home in a neighboring town of Sarasota. She lent her perspective on the storms and its similar impact to St. Armands Circle in Sarasota.
“When I was there at Thanksgiving, there was still a lot of debris, trees and branches piled up throughout the neighborhood,” Mrs. Hoyer said. “Lots of trees were shredded and there was a lot of damage in our neighborhood. Neighbors lost their pool cages and lots of businesses. The debris was in piles. Our neighborhood was under an emergency evacuation but we luckily didn’t have any damage. At one of my favorite places to go, St. Armands Circle, all of the stores and restaurants there were flooded, had not yet reopened and probably won’t reopen. In our neighborhood my neighbors were really great about checking our house and clearing out a lot of debris that we weren’t able to. You see the Florida communities come together through these hard times to help each other out.”
Mrs. Hoyer’s observations provide evidence of the work that has been done in such a short amount of time, but also the work that still lies ahead.
Florida will always be a favorite place of mine to visit for its picturesque beaches, warm temperatures and beautiful sunsets, but with the recent events that shook the state we are reminded of the power of Mother Nature and how it only takes one catastrophic event to destroy its beauty. That being said, it is so heart-warming to also see the power of community and individuals coming together in a time of need, especially around the holidays. I am confident that towns like Bradenton Beach and Sarasota will be restored and rebuilt even better than ever based on the resilience and heart demonstrated by its residents and loyal visitors. I know I will be going back for many years to come.
