Casey Key business reflects one year after Hurricanes Helene, Milton: ‘We are back’

One year since Hurricane Helene

FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon shares the journey for some businesses as they work to recover and open back up after Hurricane Helene.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Friday will mark one year since Hurricane Helene's storm surge forever changed parts of the Tampa Bay area – including Sarasota County. 

Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought some of the worst damage seen in decades. One year later, there are many signs of hope and resiliency. 

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Local perspective:

A year's time makes all the difference for those on Casey Key. Hurricane Helene brought a mess, but Hurricane Milton left damage that had never been seen. 

"In all the 40+ years that we have been here, that is the worst damage that we have ever had," said Tekla Dragan, the owner of The Beachcomber on Casey Key. 

"It at first felt like catastrophic. We couldn’t imagine the amount of damage. Couldn’t see anything green, the buildings were covered in sand. You couldn’t see the colors of the building. There was so much debris everywhere and water damage in some of the units," she recalled. 

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Dragan and her husband got to work cleaning up, and they welcomed their first guests back just a few weeks after Hurricane Milton passed. They soon realized how lucky they were. 

"Everything we had and most of our neighbors had, although bad, was repairable. It just took us a couple of days, because it was overwhelming," she said. 

What they're saying:

Sarasota County said last year, Hurricane Helene caused $1.1 billion in damage to residential and commercial properties. Hurricane Milton brought $600 million more in damages to residential and commercial properties. 

"If you were safe last season and didn’t have flooding, that might not be the case next time we have a storm that comes this way," said Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi of Sarasota County Emergency Management. 

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Sarasota County warned residents to remain prepared until the very end of the 2025 hurricane season. 

"We are just the midpoint of the season. We are at the highest points in time for a potential storm to hit our community," said Rich Collins, Sarasota County Emergency Services' director. 

Dig deeper:

Some homes and a handful of businesses on Casey Key remain damaged beyond repair, but nearly all hotels are back open. 

"We are very blessed that we had business, and we are in the final weeks of repairing, replacing things that were damaged. We are hoping in October we can say we are 100% done," said Dragan. 

What's next:

Now that they've weathered the hardest part, they're ready to welcome past and future guests back. 

"All of us here in our part of the world here. We are back, it may not be perfect, but it is pretty darn good, and the beaches are lovely again and come see us please," said Dragan.