Reality Check.
Folks,
We've been walking and driving the area for the past day and a half. We have scores of photos, but do not have the time to post them all here at the moment (PLEASE do not post asking if I have a photo of this or that house...!)
Let us provide a dose or reality for the vacationers who are headed our way.
We just took a hit from a Category 3 Hurricane. At this moment there is another storm (Emily) headed towards the Caribbean and who knows where after. The damage is devastating. Mosty of the homes built under the post Andrew code requirements fared well. But there are other issues that are going to take time to sort out.
If you are planning on visiting our lovely area in the next few weeks, then you need to realisitically understand that the beaches are NOT going to be refurbished, the walkovers will NOT all be replaced, and all the debris will NOT be picked up by the time you arrive on Saturday.
What existed along 30A last Saturday changed radically by Monday.
Yes, tourism is the lifeblood of our economy here. Yes, we know how you have planned and dreamed about your vacation in our area. Yes, we realize that your kids expect to be able to play in our wonderful sand beaches...
But no one has a magic wand that can make it like it was overnight.
You need to manage your expectations. Scroll back through this discussion thread and look at the pictures posted here. They represent the length and breadth of what happened along 30-A. Most of the beach is gone. Debris is piled everwhere. Most of the walkovers are gone - and if they could replace them overnight, there is still the beach erosion situation.
The local agencies will work as fast as humanly possible to get things fixed - but it ain't gonna happen by the time you are scheduled to arrive this Saturday, or next Saturday or the Saturday after that.
We own rental property on Captiva which was slammed by Charley last year. Many rental properties in that area are still not repaired or available this summer season - and it has been 10 months since the hurricane.
Our properties here fared better - but we have damage. We will lose rental income and there are families that are very disappointed that they have to change plans at the last minute. We empathize with them. But there is nothing that we can do.
We hope that your rental property here is available for you when you were planning to come - but be realistic in your expectations of what you'll find regarding the beaches, walkovers, storm debris etc. when you get here. There are only so many people and so many resources available to fix things and it takes time. There is NOT a giant mountain of white sand hidden somewhere that can be placed on the beach tonight.
What you will find is folks who have a positive attitude and will make your stay as amenable as possible. Many of the people who will take your order in our restaurants, bag your groceries in our supermarkets or mix your drinks at our bars have suffered damage and/or loss of their personal homes. You may be slightly inconvenienced for a week. These folks will smile and help you all day and then go home to deal with their problems at night, and they'll still be doing so weeks from now, long after you've returned home.
So come visit us. Bring the kids. Let them see how powerful mother nature can be but also let them see how a community comes together and helps its people through a tough time.
Sometimes a little adversity makes for an interesting experience.
Mike & Stephanie
Bradenton, FL / Atlanta, GA