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Historic Café l’Europe in Sarasota Devastated by Flooding
Café l’Europe, one of the oldest buildings in St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, Florida, has been flooded four times in the past 18 months. The latest damage, caused by Hurricane Helene, completely destroyed the restaurant. John Horne, CEO of Oysters Rock Hospitality, which owns and operates the café along with six other Florida establishments, shared the extent of the devastation with Fox Business.
"Everything is gone—every piece of equipment is destroyed. It’s a gut punch," Horne said. The historic building, once owned by John Ringling, took on four feet of water, and no business in St. Armands Circle was spared.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall last month with winds up to 140 mph and a record storm surge of 15 feet. Horne described the damage as unprecedented, stating, "I’ve never seen anything like this. Every business in the circle was impacted."
Florida Airport Remains Operational After Hurricane Milton
Despite efforts to prepare for Hurricane Milton, Café l’Europe was flooded again, taking on an additional foot of water. Horne’s initial estimates for rebuilding costs are around $350,000 for the structure and another $250,000 for equipment.
Horne is urging officials to address the repeated failures of the rainwater pumps, which he believes exacerbated the flooding. "It’s an absolute gut blow," he added.
Economic Impact of Hurricane Helene
Moody’s RMS event response estimated that insured losses from Hurricane Helene’s wind and storm surge damage will range between $6.7 billion and $12.3 billion, with inland losses adding $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion. This brings total insured losses to between $8 billion and $14 billion, with a best estimate of $11 billion.
Business Owners Reconsider Their Future
Some St. Armands Circle business owners are reevaluating whether to reopen after being hit by multiple storms. Horne has spoken to several who feel this might be the breaking point. "At some point, insurance companies will walk away," he said, expressing his own fears about the future.
As Florida braces for Hurricane Milton, which is approaching Category 5 intensity, Horne and other business owners are left grappling with the compounding effects of relentless storms.
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