CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Under a vibrant blue sky, as kayakers paddled across a calm Kings Bay on a warm but pleasant Tuesday afternoon, it was impossible to tell a storm is on the way — a storm that will impact Crystal River and other communities along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
In Crystal River, businesses near Kings Bay are taking no chances.
Morgan Sundberg owns Kane’s Cattle Co. and two other Crystal River restaurants and fears all three will flood because the area could get 10 to 15 feet of storm surge.
“It’s got everybody on edge, as they should be,” she said. “I know I’m smiling a lot for somebody that’s about to expect ten to fifteen of water at our location.”
More than seven feet of storm surge during Hurricane Idalia put two feet of water in her downtown Crystal River steakhouse. It had to close for 90 days for repairs.
Soon-to-be Hurricane Helene could prove worse.
“I’m hoping and praying. You know, we do take the precautions. We have our flood panels that we put in,” she said.
Starting Wednesday, most of the city will be under an evacuation order. Mayor Joe Meek says people do seem to be heeding the warning and getting prepared.
“If you drive around our historic downtown, throughout the city, you will see U-Haul trucks everywhere. Folks are loading those trucks up with their belongings,” he said. “Folks understand the severity of what we’re facing right now, and I think that you will see that a lot of people are taking action on that.”
Sundberg, meanwhile, is holding out hope the track will change and hope her restaurant won’t flood again. But if it does, she knows she’ll have help repairing it again.
“It takes a village, and this village is one of the best ones you’ll find in the State of Florida,” she said.
There are sandbag sites across Citrus County, including one in Crystal River at Bicentennial Park.
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