Sarasota business owners prepare for storm surge threat

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — St. Armands Circle wasn’t bustling as usual Wednesday. Some businesses were closed ahead of Hurricane Helene. Others closed early to finish up last minute preparations ahead of the storm.

The greatest concern for folks along coastal Sarasota is the storm surge threat tied to this hurricane. The storm surge risk in the area is between four and seven feet. Many businesses dealt with water intrusion just a few months back.

“I got flooded a few times,” said Max Onder, owner of Karavan Treasures from Turkey. “It is very frustrating, but it seems like it is getting worse every time. I think the water damage is one of the worst things.”

Onder has owned his shop on the circle for the last two and a half years but has owned his business for decades. After dealing with flooding in the past, this time around, he’s skipping the sandbags and using tape to seal off the windows and doors in his store, front and back.

His store is packed with intricate rugs and lanterns from Turkey. He spent Wednesday raising some the goods off the ground to protect what he can incase the water does make it inside.

The business owner also helped his neighboring business, LobsterCraft, by taping off their doors and windows.

“We work as a team,” said Rachael Boyd with LobsterCraft. “We are all a little community out here and we look out for one another.”

Boyd said many businesses experienced flooding earlier this year, and because of that, there’s an extra sense of anxiety as Hurricane Helene inches closer to the area.

“I do feel like people are preparing more,” said Rachael Boyd with LobsterCraft. “People have lost a lot of vehicles out here. There have been a lot of damage this year to other stores, so I do feel like we are taking it more serious.”

Many shops will remain closed until the storm has passed. The goal for many is to reopen on Friday.

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