Bradenton Beach remains closed after Hurricane Helene leaves path of destruction
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. - Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island remains closed after Hurricane Helene left historic damage. Many residents haven’t been able to get back to their homes in almost a week.
Bradenton Beach is still closed to vehicle traffic, and people are only able to access that part of the island on foot or by boat. A curfew is also in place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
State officials say 1,000 structures were damaged, with 670 either severely damaged or destroyed.
READ: Helene aftermath: What to do with the new mountains of sand on Bay Area beaches
"Almost 50 years, I have nothing to compare it to, because we’ve never seen anything like this," Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said.
Gulf Drive, which is the main thoroughfare in Bradenton Beach, is lined with sandbanks. FDOT crews are continuing to clear the roads throughout the community, to help fully restore power and reopen that part of the island.
On Tuesday, Chappie gave FOX 13 a tour of some of the damage on Bradenton Beach. He said all the ground-level homes and businesses have some type of damage.
"All of them have been hit," Chappie said. "Every one of them."
Some homes were swept off their foundation and hauled down the street. Businesses along Bradenton Beach’s iconic Bridge Street were also devastated.
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"When we were coming up the island down by the pier, it just became really reality that this really did happen, and walking down the street, it was very tearful," said Deborah Myers, the owner of Bridge Street Interiors Mermaid Haven. "Very heartbreaking."
Myers and her family had already begun removing merchandise from the store and saving the items that could be salvaged from the flooding. However, she said they’ll still have to rip out the dry wall and gut the interior.
"Actually today, we’re celebrating the start of our 24 years," Myers said.
Amanda Escobio owns the business next door, Sea-renity Beach Spa & Bou-tiki. She said she got to the island by boat on Friday to check out the damage for the first time.
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Escobio said they’ve made a lot of progress in the cleanup since Friday, but they have a very long way to go. She owns two businesses on Bradenton Beach, which were both damaged during Hurricane Helene.
"Unfortunately, we don’t know the fate of our beach tiki massage," Escobio said. "We’ve been known for that for 14 years. Aerial shots showed the tiki hut in the middle of Gulf Drive a few days ago."
The mayor said Helene packed Bradenton Beach with an unprecedented amount of sand.
"FDOT needed the room to get their equipment in here and clean it up the right way, so it’ll be safe for our residents," Chappie said.
READ: FEMA centers in Bay Area offering help in applying for assistance after Helene
He hopes to reopen this part of the island only to residents, business owners and essential personnel, like insurance agents, by the end of the week.
"You can’t jump ahead to step five without doing step three and four, otherwise you’re going to set yourself up for failure," he said.
Chappie said that once Bradenton Beach does reopen, it will not be open to tourists and visitors. He urges people who do not live there or have a reason to be there, to stay away from the area while the community recovers.
"We want to give our residents and the business community some time to clean things up, before tourists come out here," he said.
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In the meantime, Chappie said they’re working to start a shuttle service to help people get on and off the island, instead of having to walk.
First Responders from the Northeast Florida Incident Management Team are on the ground assisting with recovery. Officials with the team said the Bradenton Beach Police Chief requested state resources immediately after Helene passed to come in and help.
They said power has been restored to main sources of the area, but a lot of homes and businesses are still without power while crews continue the cleanup. The community has already banded together to help with the cleanup and rebuilding process.
The Salvation Army has joined Anna Maria Oyster Bar in helping distribute food, water and cleaning supplies to those who have been able to get back onto this part of the island on foot or by boat.
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"We’re like a big family here on Bridge Street," Myers said.
Business owners vow to rebuild better than before, and help Bradenton Beach return to the community they know and love.
"We’re strong, we’re salty, and we’re not going anywhere," Escobio said.
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