WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — It is round two for storms hitting Polk County, and as the cleanup continues from Hurricane Ian, another is set to cross over the heart of Florida.
On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Ft. Myers as a category-four storm. It carved a path through central Florida, sending rivers and lakes over flood stages, flooding countless homes and businesses.
"This is what Ian did to us. You can still see the faint line across here," Lisa Brown said.
Brown's parents own Tanners Lakeside Restaurant and Bar in Winter Haven. She said they've been flooded at least four times over the past decade. The restaurant, a popular spot for bingo on Wednesday night, is right on the water with a beautiful view of Lake May.
Most of the year, the lake is calm and serene. But not during storms. Brown said the back dock had more than a foot of water, flooding the entire restaurant. She said last time, boaters checking out damage the next day made things worse. Their wake flooded the restaurant even more.
"It's like a surge inside the restaurants when a boat doesn't go the speed limit through canals, so please slow down, or we can't reopen," Brown said.
At a neighborhood a few miles down from the restaurant, Debbie Steele, gave us a tour of the damage she experienced during Ian.
"The water ripped the dock off the pilon," Steele said. "I am scared of these trees coming down on my house."
During Ian, Steele said the winds never stopped. She doesn't anticipate Nicole will be as destructive but worries the blue tarp, held down by sandbags, on her neighbor's roof won't hold up.
Hurricane Nicole is a large, fast-moving storm. Brown said they expect to be open once it passes, whether they have flooding or not.
"We are thankful for our customers. We will be here no matter what. It could take our dock away, and we'll still be open," Brown said.
