PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Businesses in the Tampa Bay area are struggling to recover after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but "Small Business Saturday" brought some hope back to those business owners.
"Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks," said Lisa Herod who works at the Saltwater Hippie on Madeira Beach. "I mean, it's really, really unpredictable. We are all hurting. Even those of us who didn't sustain storm damage personally, we sustained storm damage in our work space. Being unemployed during a very employable time for months on end, and I'm not just talking about my space, but there's a lot of people who are way worse off than we are."
Naomi Nelson, who works at Lori's Soap and Sponge Market at John's Pass, said the feeling is mutual for her.
"It's really affected us very bad," Nelson said. "John's Pass is not the same. There's hardly any people here and it's hurting us. It's a small business, a family business."
Herod said coming back from the storms has been difficult.
"Usually I see a little bit of resurgence in October for my long-term stayers," Herod said. "People are sometimes here for six months out of the year. Obviously, that didn't happen this year."
Saturday was 'Small Business Saturday' and both Herod and Nelson said they had a little bit more foot traffic than usual.
"It's not like last year," Nelson said. "I remember last year and the year before we were really busy. This is really difficult and I understand it because people can't afford it right now."
"We are so glad to customers see because they are our bread and butter," Herod said. "They make the world go round."
Going into this Christmas, businesses at the beach hope people shop local.
"I'm hoping they choose local," Herod said. "I'm hoping that they choose the people who are struggling the most. I'm hoping that you have a hand to give out to someone that you know needs something, reach out to those people or that person."
“We need to listen to the voice of the people, right?”
Last summer, the Florida Department of Environment Protection considered adding amenities like golf courses, pickleball courts, and hotels to state parks across the state. After public outcry, the plans were shelved, but the fight isn't over for some Florida residents.
