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Davis Islands businesses recovering after Hurricane Helene brings record storm surge

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Updated  October 3, 2024 5:28pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Davis Islands businesses recovering after Hurricane Helene brings record storm surge

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The small businesses on Davis Islands have spent the past week cleaning and disinfecting their shops after Hurricane Helene brought around seven feet of storm surge. As of Thursday, some shops were back open while others remain closed. 

Davis Islands Pharmacy suffered significant damage, but the owner told FOX 13 that they are open limited hours and are currently filling prescriptions. However, they will be closed on the weekends until further notice. 

The Grecian Island Restaurant will remain closed for quite some time after the storm brought two feet of water inside the family-owned restaurant, damaging its equipment, freezers, coolers and chairs. 

READ: Sandy Perrone Park comfort station inundated with people while others in Hillsborough have room to spare

"It's just definitely a surreal experience," Eleni Liras said of her family’s restaurant. "You know, we're just a small breakfast-lunch place, but Davis Islands and the community really means so much to my family and I."

Liras told FOX 13 they hope to reopen "maybe within a month" but "sooner if [they] can."

Meanwhile, DI Coffee Bar will reopen Friday morning, offering coffee through their outdoor window. 

"We've been closed since the storm hit. We were here early that morning, starting to get water out of here," DI Coffee Bar's owner Ramon Perez said.

MORE: Popular Ruskin restaurant battered by Hurricane Helene turns into donation center for families

Perez told FOX 13 roughly 80% of everything inside the coffee shop got damaged. Additionally, the plan is to resume playing live music, starting this Friday evening. 

"I think normalcy on the island would be good right now," Perez said. "So, hell or high water – and we've already had high water – we're going to be playing live music tomorrow night."

Normalcy is something Pioneer Cleaners & Laundry is trying to bring to the island, too.

"I mean, people's washers and dryers are fried," Pioneer Cleaners’ Phyllis Watson-Miller said on Thursday. "Oh my God, it's been crazy."

READ: Tampa opens 3rd 'comfort station' to help those impacted by Helene

The staff is grateful they’ve been able to stay open all week to help residents wash their clothes and bedding. 

"I just hope people know that we're here for them," Watson-Miller said. 

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