CEDAR KEY, Fla. - The island town of Cedar Key woke up Thursday surprised to find no damage from Hurricane Michael even though storm surge was expected.
When we stopped by, we found many businesses closed as they were prepared to get major flooding from the storm.
Cedar Key was hit hard by Hurricane Hermine two years ago. Several businesses are just getting back to normal, while others never started up again. The entire boardwalk had to be renovated or rebuilt after the storm.
Residents say they were warned by Levy County Emergency Management officials that storm surge could be as high as 14 feet.
During Hurricane Hermine, they had a storm surge of a little more than 7 feet.
Resident Robert Rimavicus said he was worried a storm surge of 14 feet would have likely wiped the island off the map.
“We’re just a really fortunate community that it didn’t end up that way,” he said.
Thursday at 82 West, restaurant owner Jordan Keeton had Bob Marley’s 'Everything’s Gonna Be Alright" playing over the sound system as workers came in to clean up water covering the floor.
“It’s nothing we can’t clean up. We closed out of precaution. It’s quite a relief it wasn’t bad as what was forecast. We are all very happy we have something to come back to. Now we can open quickly,” he said.
Keeton hopes to have his restaurant open in time for dinner Friday night.
Thanks to being spared by Hurricane Michael his restaurant and the others along the boardwalk will be ready for next weekend’s seafood festival in Cedar Key.
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