Island strong: Digging out after Hurricane Helene
It was the worst storm since the hurricane of 1921 devastated Cortez, when Anna Maria Island was barely inhabited and had no bridges leading to it. The 100-year Category 4 storm, Hurricane Helene, buried Anna Maria Island in sand and swamped Cortez on Sept. 26, leaving thousands homeless and their businesses in ruins. By the weekend, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria were accessible and power and water were coming back on, but Bradenton Beach remained closed and largely without power or water, substantially destroyed by some federal accounts. Residents and business owners, still in shock, are helping each other, digging what’s left of their lives out of the sand that once renourished the beaches, and struggling to say goodbye to what used to be reality, just a week ago.
For up to the minute coverage, visit www.amisun.com and www.Facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun
Join the Anna Maria Island Hurricane Helene Relief Facebook page to see what resources are available.
BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – When Hurricane Helene swept past the Gulf coast, it brought several feet of storm surge that left large amounts of debris, standing water and piles of sand across the Island. A group of Anna Maria Island residents and business owners, led by Realtor Darcie Duncan, has joined forces to help locals affected by the storm.
The group, Anna Maria Island Hurricane Helene Relief, is a place for people to post photos and videos, notify neighbors of available help in the area and organize relief efforts. Started on Sept. 27, the group had more than 5,600 members in less than 48 hours, all sharing resources, updates, information and finding ways to help the community begin the long road to recovery.
Companies and city leaders are invited to post information for community members along with anyone who has photos, videos or supplies to share.
Duncan said she knew watching Helene come in that the Island community would need to mobilize quickly to begin recovery.
SEE DUNCAN, PAGE 8
ANNA MARIA JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
HOLMES BEACH JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
BRADENTON BEACH JOE HENDRICKS | SUN CORTEZ
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
Residents and business owners return to Holmes Beach
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Residents and business owners began returning to Holmes Beach on Saturday to assess the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene.
At 10 a.m. Saturday morning, Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer greeted the first wave of arrivals, some of whom passed through Holmes Beach on their way to Anna Maria, with law enforcement personnel checking for re-entry tags or other forms of proof of residency or business ownership.
“The chief and mayor have met and the mayor has asked to let residents and business owners to be allowed to enter the city to start their cleanup efforts,” said the reopening notice posted at the Holmes Beach Police Department Facebook page earlier that day.
With Cortez Bridge vehicular access still restricted, a law enforcement-monitored barricade was deployed at the south end of the city to prevent motorists from entering Bradenton
Beach through Holmes Beach.
As Sunday unfolded, Tokajer decided to eliminate the checkpoint and he explained his decision in another Facebook message.
“Today, we were allowing the residents, employees and contracted cleaning crews to enter the Island. In the first three hours of the checkpoint, we did not have to turn anyone away and the line of cars was backed up past 75th Street causing huge delays. I decided it would be more helpful to the residents to get them, their cleaning crews and employees onto the Island faster so they are not sitting in traffic for hours...
The curfew is still in place from dusk to dawn and it will remain in place until the police chiefs decide it is no longer necessary. We will still be closing access to the Island at 7 p.m.”
DAMAGE AND RECOVERY
A late Saturday afternoon tour of Holmes Beach revealed the damage done and the recovery efforts underway.
The stretch of Gulf Drive
between Walgreens pharmacy and Skinny’s restaurant was limited to a single lane carved out of the sand by a front-end loader.
At the five-unit, ground-level Bamboo Apartments vacation rental complex, St. Petersburgbased owners Alice and Stephen Sutton and their sons had already removed the carpeting and other items damaged by the floodwaters that they said could have been much worse.
Alice, the third-generation owner, said, “This is the only time we’ve ever flooded.”
With some drywall replacement potentially looming, Alice had already cancelled their guest reservations for the coming week and possibly until the end of October.
At Manatee Beach, a heavy equipment operator was removing sand piled up on Anna Maria Island Beach Café’s beachfront patio.
A large puddle covered much of the Gulf Drive S-curve near the beach parking lot and some traffic signals worked and some did not. Throughout the city, water, sand
and mud were common sights and many property owners had already hauled their damaged furnishings and belongings to the curb.
Along Avenue F, Hurricane Helene demolished two beachfront homes, severely damaged others and partially buried an SUV.
On Sunday evening, Titsworth said, “Holmes Beach was totally devastated from the flood waters. The Holmes Beach police, public works, building and code enforcement departments have been working non-stop and we were able to quickly get property owners back on the Island to assess their damage and begin cleaning up. I had 3 feet of water in my home and lost most everything. I have much empathy for our property owners as to the magnitude of the devastation. I can’t thank FPL enough for getting our power back on so quickly and the county’s rapid response in getting our lift stations back in operation was commendable. We will get through this recovery together."
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
This home along Avenue F in Holmes Beach was demolished.
Hurricane recovery progressing in Bradenton Beach
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Beginning on Monday, residents and business owners were allowed to return to the city on foot to get their first look at the damage from Hurricane Helene. The hurricane’s storm surge buried Gulf Drive with 3-6 feet of sand and the road remains closed to motorists until the sand is cleared and a temporary road is installed. With assistance from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is expected to have the new and temporary state road installed by Wednesday, Oct. 2, if not sooner. Vehicular access across the Cortez Bridge remains restricted to first responders, recovery personnel and other essential personnel until Gulf Drive reopens.
Beginning on Sept. 30, Bradenton Beach property owners, condo owners, mobile home park residents, rental residents and business owners were allowed to cross the Cortez Bridge on foot to access their property. Bicycles, golf carts and other means of transportation were not allowed. Similar pedestrian access was allowed at the
police checkpoint at the north end of the city near the Bradenton Beach/Holmes Beach border. For safety reasons, those entering the city on foot were not allowed to walk down Gulf Drive.
The Sun was able to access the north and south ends of the city on Monday. The damage to the south is believed to be more widespread and significant than damage to the north.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry said entry to the city will not be granted with a verbal claim of residency. Residential property owners, including condo and mobile home owners, must provide a city-issued re-entry tag, a valid driver’s license with a Bradenton Beach address or a utility bill. Business owners must provide proof of business ownership such as a city-issued business tax receipt. Rental residents must provide a copy or a screenshot of their current rental agreement, or a text from the property owner stating they’re a rental tenant at a specific address.
A city-imposed curfew remains in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until further notice. According to Perry, water and sewer service had been restored to most Bradenton Beach properties as of Sunday and Florida Power & Light was still
working to restore electrical service, with those efforts being hampered by the damage to Gulf Drive.
The city asks property owners and business owners to place storm debris alongside the road but not in the road.
HURRICANE DAMAGE
On Friday, the day after the hurricane, Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby stressed the need for residents and business owners to remain patient regarding their pending re-entry into the city.
“I’ve got about 60 pieces of FDOT equipment moving sand off Gulf Drive. I cannot have people getting in their way. Nobody’s driving around this city until we have the sand off every road. I also have businesses and homes that are not secure. This is not a sightseeing tour and people need to understand that,” he said.
The damage visible along Gulf Drive on Friday morning included three heavily damaged residential structures and a nearby fallen garage.
The Gulf-front Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge sustained significant water damage and sand intrusion. To varying degrees, similar damage
occurred at Oma’s Pizza, Wilder’s Pizza, Island Scoops, the One Stop Shell Shop, Wicked Cantina and the Gulf Drive Café. The businesses along Bridge Street appeared to be structurally intact but many experienced water damage and sand intrusion.
A cabin cruiser that broke free during the storm became wedged under the floating dock by the Bradenton Beach Pier and the finger docks were also damaged.
RESIDENT RESCUE
Sunday morning, Cosby and Lt. Lenard Diaz transported Sandpiper mobile home park resident Patty Shay and her dog, Lucky, off the Island. Shay’s mobile home suffered significant water damage and her car and scooter were destroyed, leaving her with no means of transportation.
“I lost everything,” she said via phone from the safety of her friend’s mainland home. Shay said she’s extremely grateful for the assistance Cosby and Diaz provided and she was amazed to see the condition of Gulf Drive and the damage visible en route to the Cortez Bridge.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The AMI Moose Lodge lost several Gulf-front windows.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Hurricane Helene damaged this ground-level home in Bradenton Beach.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Above, a cabin cruiser became wedged under the floating dock next to the Bradenton Beach Pier.
Left, storm surge pushed sand through hurricane windows into a condominium in Bradenton Beach. Below, this vehicle came to rest atop an airconditioning unit in a condominium complex in Bradenton Beach.
Recovery process continues in Anna Maria
A long recovery process is expected for many in Anna Maria as the damage assessment continues.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – As hurricane recovery efforts continue, the city’s focus shifts to debris removal efforts that began on Monday morning.
“Our top priority now is to get household goods out to the right of way and picked up,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said. “This is a long process and it will continue until it’s complete.”
The first priority is removing the mattresses, furniture and other household goods and the two contracted debris removal companies will send trucks though most areas two or three times per week. For now, the removal of trees, palm fronds and other natural debris is a secondary concern.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
Murphy and his wife, Barb, evacuated their Anna Maria home before Hurricane Helene arrived and he returned Friday morning to assess the damage and lead the recovery efforts.
“The city is severely damaged,” he said. “Almost every home, except the new and higher ones, likely had some water intrusion. My wife’s car went underwater and is destroyed. The homes along South Bay took on 2-3 feet of water, some maybe more. Most of the businesses, residences and the historical museum on Pine
Avenue had water intrusion on the ground floor. In our city annex building, we had 6 inches of water but no extensive damage.”
A visit to the museum on Saturday revealed a brown line on the side door that indicated where the floodwaters rose to approximately 3 feet.
As of Monday morning, water and sewage service was restored, electrical service was mostly
restored and the city streets were clear and accessible with one exception: “Sycamore Avenue’s washed out. It’s destroyed,” Murphy said.
“The beaches are eroded and dangerous. The re-entry checkpoint at the entrance to the city has been lifted but the curfew remains in effect. I don’t want looters,” he added.
The City Pier reopened Monday
morning despite some minor damage to the landing area used by the Gulf Island Ferry service. The City Pier Grill and Mote Marine outreach center didn’t open Monday.
Anna Maria General Store and City Pier Grill owner/ operator Brian Seymour said he hoped to open his general store on Pine Avenue on Tuesday and the City Pier Grill soon. Ginny’s and Jane E’s Café owner Paul Foster anticipates reopening in a few weeks. Murphy suspects the Waterfront and Sandbar restaurants sustained significant water damage. Hurricane Helene inflicted major damage on the privately-owned Rod & Reel Pier. Most of the pier planks are gone, the utility lines are exposed and the restaurant building is damaged. A sign on the gate says, “Pier closed until further notice.”
Unlike previous storms, the city used its City of Anna Maria Facebook page to provide real-time updates and information before, during and after the hurricane.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
About 3 feet of water intruded into the Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum on Pine Avenue.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The sign on Ginny’s and Jane E’s corner store, 9807 Gulf Drive, was damaged.
Cortez cleans up after Helene
Cortez residents say they’ve never seen flooding like this.
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
CORTEZ – Cortez fishing villagers are accustomed to sharks, but not in their backyards.
One longtime resident said a shark brushed against her as she was cleaning up the yard before the floodwaters from Hurricane Helene receded.
Just down the street at Slicker’s Eatery, Bob Slicker had expected some storm impact from Hurricane Helene to his Cortez Road restaurant, even though it’s not on the water, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him early Friday morning as the building was flooded with more than 3 feet of water.
“I told my team Thursday, I could just feel it,” Slicker said. “It was like nothing I’d ever felt before and I’ve been living on the water since the 80s. I just knew. It wasn’t a good feeling at all.”
He advised his staff on Thursday to go home and stay safe and he returned
to the restaurant in the middle of the night after the storm had subsided.
“Power had gone out about 7 Thursday night. I waited until the sun came up so I could see better,” Slicker said.
“Everything in here was askew, chairs, tables, booths. We only have two chest freezers because we have all fresh food - they were flipped over - that’s how deep it was. The plates and everything were floating.”
He said a full dumpster that was behind the building had been pushed to the middle of Cortez Road from the force of the storm.
“It was on its side in the road, that’s how deep and powerful it was,” he said. “The ice machine, which is outside, was broken in two and half of it was wedged against the door.”
Slicker said they will reopen as soon as possible, and that timing will be dependent on a professional clean-up company and the return of electricity.
“In the restaurant business we all live week to week, and I’m trying to get things going so my team has income,” he said as his voice choked with emotion. “My team has been so giving ever since the day we opened.”
Slicker’s has been in operation for about four years.
“I just hope everyone is safe,” Slicker said. “I hope everybody did OK. Take care of your neighbors.”
Adam Sears, general manager of the waterfront Swordfish Grill in
the Cortez fishing village, said the restaurant suffered minimal water intrusion and was scheduled to reopen on Sunday.
Adjacent to Swordfish, the recently remodeled Cortez Kitchen took on water and Sears said damage is being evaluated before a reopening date can be set.
"Right now, people in Cortez need help," Sears said. "There are many people there who lost everything and may not have the means or the ability right now to fix what needs to be fixed. Their walls have gotten wet and need to be replaced before the mold sets in. People who have the ability won't ask for help, but there are elderly people there who really could use assistance."
Sears said he and local charter boat Capt. Lance Plowman were out Thursday night on a boat on flooded Cortez roads trying to assist those who needed help.
"Lance's own house got flooded, but he was out there helping," Sears said. "Right now we need people who are able to come down with gloves and tools."
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
A boat crashed into the Fulford dock during Helena’s storm surge.
CORTEZ: Cleans up after Helene
CORTEZ RESIDENTS CLEAN UP
Cortez residents spent the day on Friday dragging waterlogged furniture, carpets and appliances out to the road for trash pickup following Hurricane Helene’s storm surge on Thursday night.
Cortez resident Lydia was cleaning up water on Friday in her 45th Avenue West home.
“I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and I’ve lived through hurricanes there and I’ve never, ever seen flooding like this,” she said.
Power went out on Thursday evening and she and her husband could barely see the waters rise to more than a foot in the house overnight.
She said the family cars were inundated with salt water.
Susan Curry, a Cortez resident, was mopping the sand and water off the wood floors in her 1925 bungalow and is expecting to have to replace the home's electrical system due to water damage.
“These houses have old wiring and the water was sitting in the wires and got into the outlets,” Curry said. “I turned off the main breaker and will have to have an electrician replace the wiring.”
She took a philosophical approach to the storm.
“It was bound to happen,” she said. “And this isn’t even… we could still get hit with a real one, and this will all be wiped out.”
Down the road from Curry's home, a large tree had fallen
“This car, my husband’s car and my son-in-law’s car, they all got flooded,” she said. “I told my son-in-law two weeks ago, you know, we’re going to get hit with a bad storm. He asked how I knew and I said, ‘Something in here is telling me, we’re going to get hit and we’re going to get flooded.’ I didn’t want to be right.”
onto a boat and garage on 45th Avenue West and was removed on Friday.
DOCKS DESTROYED
Three Cortez docks, the Fulford Dock, Miller Dock and the Star Fish Co. docks, were badly damaged in the storm. “This dock was just built,” Fulford employee Rucker said.
FROM THE PREHISTORIC TO THE
At the building adjacent to the dock, a boat had smashed into a side wall leaving a sizeable hole.
“That boat was not in Cortez before the storm,” Rucker said. “I think it might have come over from Longboat.”
A skiff was sitting in the middle of the road in a puddle of water in front of Star Fish Co. on Friday.
COMMUNITY CHURCH PITCHES IN TO HELP
Members of the Cortez Church of Christ put up a tent and tables filled with sandwiches and cold water to show support for their neighbors.
“We’re doing what we can to help,” Sylvia Bailey said. “People who have lost so much can come by and get something to eat, a drink of cold water and some love.”
Bailey said she has lived in Cortez for many years and this is the worst flooding she's seen in the village. She said the church, which never had flooded, took on more than a foot of water.
Parts of the deck of the Miller dock were sagging over the water and at Star Fish Co., slats on the dock were broken and tables had tumbled into the water.
“We’ve had storms before, but nothing like this,” she said.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
A large tree fell on a boat and on a garage during the storm.
DUNCAN: Leads community recovery efforts
“It’s so overwhelming, the amount of help and support people have offered,” she said. As soon as the sun came up after the storm passed, Duncan said people were contacting her to find out how they could help and dropping off supplies by boat at her dock for Island residents.
The group also is organizing a supply drive to gather food, cleaning supplies, clothing, water, hygiene supplies and other necessary items.
The Center of Anna Maria Island is serving as a distribution point for all the supplies. The Manatee Community Foundation is a place for anyone who wants to donate financially to relief efforts. All funds collected will go directly to meet the needs of the Anna Maria Island community.
With power to The Center restored, staff has opened the doors to the community to allow people to come charge their phones or devices, take a break from the heat
and access a working restroom. Duncan and The Center’s staff are working to get volunteer teams organized to help community members clean up their homes and businesses as well as distribute supplies.
Meals on Wheels of Manatee County is serving as a drop off location for the supplies coming out to the Island. Duncan said that with the exponential growth of the group and the large amount of resources being donated, it’s been necessary to divert the organization of supply drives and financial donations to larger organizations to make sure that supplies and funding get to where they’re needed the most in the Island community, such as Bradenton Beach, which is still inaccessible by vehicle. Duncan said supplies are available at The Center for Island residents and business owners, from cleaning supplies to shovels and even hugs. Supplies that are still needed include underwear, clothing and socks. Join at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1982057658882341
Residents urged to take precautions when returning to Island
Post-storm hazards can include water damage to electrical systems, downed power lines and trees and lithium ion batteries.
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As residents and business owners return to the Island, officials remind them to be mindful of inherent hazards following a flooding storm.
The Holmes Beach building official’s office issued the following warning: “When power is restored or if you still have power, please ensure that all breakers for any outlet, light fixture or appliance are turned off before turning on your main breaker. Especially for any outlet that is located
below the highest water line in your property. This is for all interior and garage or external outlets. Likely, they all had water intrusion and will have salt inside, which can be a fire risk when power is restored. Once all breakers have been turned off and the main breaker is turned on, check each individual breaker as you turn them back on. If you see smoke or any signs of fire, immediately turn the breaker off and consult with a licensed electrician. Do not charge electric vehicles or golf carts in any outlets below the water line that have not been checked and tested.”
Several fires in Holmes Beach during the storm were reportedly caused by lithium ion batteries in golf carts.
Water infiltration into the highvoltage battery of an electric vehicle
can lead to damage, heightening the risk of a battery fire, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The fires may erupt instantaneously or manifest days, weeks or even months after exposure to saltwater. Using or charging batteries exposed to floodwaters poses a serious risk of fire.
According to FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), most hurricane-related deaths occur during the post-impact period, with prominent causes of death and injury being electrocutions from downed power lines, chain-saw injuries and blunt trauma from falling trees. Floodwaters may contain a variety of hazards that pose a health and safety risk, including sharp objects, sewage, bacteria, chemicals, diseased insects and animals, according to FEMA.
Recovering after Hurricane Helene
BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
The days following a disaster are critical in storm recovery. It’s important that while you’re working to clean up that you also take advantage of community resources.
The Better Business Bureau recommends:
• Assess the damage – take pictures, contact your insurance company, document damage and don’t make any permanent repairs until you get approval from your insurance company;
• Clean and make temporary repairs – make minor repairs to help limit further damage, clean up standing
water, remove debris and treat the property for mold. Wear protective clothing including close-toed shoes, gloves and masks while cleaning;
offering unsolicited repairs or work for a price. Offers to purchase damaged homes should be viewed skeptically.
• Hire a contractor – once you get the go-ahead from your insurance company, hire a contractor to complete permanent repairs. Get references, do your research, look out for price gouging and make sure you read and understand everything you sign. Get written contract agreements, never pay in full in advance and contact your local building department to ensure the contractor is licensed in your area.
One major thing to look out for is “storm chasers,” people who take advantage of those suffering in the wake of a natural disaster. These people may pose as insurance claim adjusters, contractors or others
A great source of help for those recovering from a storm is the FEMA website. Visit www.fema. gov/disaster/current/ hurricane-helene to see what emergency and financial assistance is available to you. Assistance can include vouchers for hotel and Airbnb rentals, emergency utility, clothing and housing assistance, food and other assistance. If you qualify for FEMA assistance, it’s important to apply quickly.
In Manatee County, you also can visit www. mymanatee.org/storm to register for local assistance. Business owners can contact the Small Business Administration for loans and relief options at www. sba.gov.
DeSantis prioritizes temporary Gulf Drive repairs
The governor said Gulf Drive will be temporarily repaired by late this week, with
BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with federal and state officials, was in Bradenton Beach on Saturday to provide an update on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts locally and statewide.
DeSantis addressed the need for reopening Gulf Drive, which suffered extensive damage that included several feet of sand over the road, buckling and sinkholes following the storm surge from the Category 4 storm.
“Here in Bradenton Beach one of the things we wanted to do is get this road fixed as soon as possible,” DeSantis said. “People were talking about many weeks, we don’t have that kind of time.”
Gulf Drive (SR-789) falls under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). As of Sunday, Bradenton Beach is the only Anna Maria Island city that was not allowing residents to return except on foot due largely to the conditions along Gulf Drive.
DeSantis said FDOT has a temporary
sand inhibits the ability to deal with some of the underground transmission lines.
“For folks here, there’s a lot of damage, but there’s no question you’ll be able to bounce back,” he said.
DeSantis was joined by FDOT secretary Jared Purdue, FEMA Executive Director Kevin Guthrie, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Major General John Haas from the Florida National Guard. Purdue said FDOT solicited bids and got under contract quickly to repair Gulf Drive.
fix started on Gulf Drive under an emergency contract.
“It could be finished in five days, but we’re hoping they’ll do better than that,”
DeSantis said. “There’s part of the road where you have structural damage. And they’ll do temporary repairs. People will be able to use the road. It’s not going to be a permanent solution, but I’d rather get the road back open so people can use it, then we’ll address it on a permanent basis.”
He said the goal is to get everything functioning so people can get back to their homes and businesses as soon as possible.
At 3 p.m. on Sunday, FDOT was authorized by DeSantis to begin immediate sand removal and clearing of all City of Bradenton Beach local roads, according to
a Bradenton Beach city press release.
“Please stay out of their way,” the release states. “The city remains open to foot traffic only.”
DeSantis called the amount of sand on the road in Bradenton Beach “significant” and said he has not seen that amount of sand following the storm in any other part of the state he’s visited.
“I think what we’re going to do, we’re going to store the sand and then if folks here need it for beach renourishment they can use it for beach renourishment,” DeSantis said. “In some areas the sand was 5 feet. That’s pretty incredible.”
Much of Anna Maria Island remains without power. The governor said that
“We’re standing here on State Road 789 which sustained significant damage from Helene and with mounds and mounds of sand, and as soon as the water receded our FDOT team here in District 1 jumped in and immediately started doing damage assessments,” Purdue said. “There’s a schedule of five days, but you heard the governor - there’s a full anticipation we’re going to work around the clock to get this done as quickly as possible.”
“We’ve reopened the Florida Disaster Fund, this is a private fund, this is a tax deductible charitable contribution you can make. It’s a partnership with our partners in the private sector, other non-government groups who work to help people when things like this happen. It can help fund meals and help displaced people get essential items,” DeSantis said. He gave the telephone number for the state’s non-emergency information line, which is 800-342-3557 and the Hope Florida line for assistance with food and shelter at 1-833-GET-HOPE.
LESLIE LAKE | SUN Gulf Drive at the Cortez Bridge on Monday.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis surveyed the damage on Anna Maria Island and promised a speedy repair to Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach.
