In the ashes of Dock Street, Cedar Key is facing yet another challenge as the community prepares for Hurricane Helene.
The storm strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday and is expected to make landfall as Category 3 on the northeast Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday evening.
As the threat of the storm looms, residents and local businesses are taking proactive measures to safeguard their operations. Haiden Simpson, cashier at Fishbonz on Third, shared the business’s plan for the storm.
“We’re taking everything off from the bottom of the floor and putting it on a trailer to take about 15 miles off the island to Rosewood,” Simpson said. “After Idalia, we learned that we have to take everything out or it will be ruined.”
Helene marks the third significant event the island has dealt with in just over a month, following the devastating effects of Hurricane Debby and a recent fire that left several local businesses in ruins.
Hurricane Idalia devastated Cedar Key in late August of 2023, setting the highest storm surge the island has ever recorded at 7 feet tall. A third of the island’s buildings flooded.
As Helene’s classifications continue to elevate, Cedar Key’s emergency plans have become increasingly urgent.
Levy County Emergency Management began preparations, releasing sandbag locations. Sandbags will be available for self-service, with a limit of 10 bags per resident to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prepare. The distribution sites opened at noon on Tuesday, with Cedar Key’s location as City Hall.
Given the s torm's potential for severe impacts, authorities are preparing to close No. 4 Bridge, the sole access point to and from the island.
“Anything catastrophic like this, anything over a Category 1, they will usually shut down the bridge,” said Mirand Quin, all-in-one front desk, housekeeper and breakfast cook at the Island Hotel and Restaurant. “After the hurricane, to re-enter the island, the police and firefighters have to check that everything is safe before allowing anyone back in. The first to be let in are usually the locals.”
To re-enter the island, residents must show a hurricane re-entry pass provided by the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce. The necessary re-entry pass can only be obtained if one lives or works on the island.
The timing of Hurricane Helene’s arrival could not be worse for Cedar Key, which is still recovering from the aftermath of a recent fire that devastated Dock Street. The fire left four local businesses with damage: Duncan’s on the Gulf, the Rusty Hook Bait Shop, Steamers and Island Trading Post.
"It’s going to take time to rebuild everything again, but we always do," said Quin on the island’s resilience.
The scars from Hurricane Debby earlier this month still linger, with flooding and mud damage leaving many homes and businesses in disarray.
“Debby brought a lot of water and mud,” said resident Gowen Naylor. “We just have to get everything above five feet and hope for the best when the water comes in.”
Naylor, who lost much during Idalia, expressed his concerns about facing another storm.
“My house is not elevated, and I don’t want to go through that again,” he said. “I’m trying to board up my windows, grab sandbags and do what I can.”
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, the island’s community is coming together in this time of need.
“Cedar Key is a community where all of us come together to make sure everything and everyone is going to be okay,” Simpson said.
As of Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a declared state of emergency to 61 out of Florida’s 67 counties amid Helene’s growth.
“This isn’t fun,” Quin said. “This is not time for a hurricane party. I’m hoping everybody gets out if it's as bad as they say it is going to be. Then, no one needs to be staying on the island. This can be potentially very dangerous, and we don't want any casualties.”
