{"id":2018635,"date":"2023-08-31T20:15:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T00:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/day-after-idalia-residents-race-time-and-tides-to-sweep-the-sea-from-tarpon-springs-streets\/"},"modified":"2023-08-31T20:20:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T00:20:04","slug":"day-after-idalia-residents-race-time-and-tides-to-sweep-the-sea-from-tarpon-springs-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/day-after-idalia-residents-race-time-and-tides-to-sweep-the-sea-from-tarpon-springs-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"After Idalia, Tarpon Springs residents rush against time and tides to clear the sea from their streets."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fday-after-idalia-residents-race-time-and-tides-to-sweep-the-sea-from-tarpon-springs-streets%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2018635&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<h2>Surviving the Storm: Tarpon Springs Reflects \u200don Hurricane\u200c Idalia<\/h2>\n<p>At daybreak, the fishermen went down to the sea in water up to their hips to\u200d see if their ships were still moored to Anclote River \u200dpiers or\u200d marooned on Dodecanese Boulevard, now a\u2062 three-foot-deep canal of flooded businesses in Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n<p>The fishing boats were\u200b all there, riding high in the swollen river, bumping rhythmically against rubber dock camels, masts\u2063 slightly a-sway but\u2062 otherwise undamaged. They had survived Idalia\u2019s big blow the night \u200dbefore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe hurricane went a\u200d bit further north than it was \u200boriginally forecast \u2064and, so, we got real lucky,\u201d Alan Fox, a sponge diver aboard the 44-foot Susie Sea, told The Epoch Times on\u2062 Aug. 31. \u201cThe wind\u2062 didn\u2019t get too bad and water came up quite \u2063a \u2063bit. We definitely got some high water, but that&#8217;s not bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/over-800000-homes-at-risk-with-hurricane-idalia-corelogic-estimate-5484184\">Over 800,000 Homes at Risk With Hurricane Idalia: CoreLogic Estimate<\/a> (8\/31\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/tropical-storm-idalia-leaves-shredded-homes-roads-blocked-with-powerlines-in-florida-and-georgia-5484154\">Tropical Storm\u200d Idalia Leaves Shredded Homes, Roads Blocked With Powerlines in Florida and Georgia<\/a> (8\/31\/2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cNot bad,\u201d that is, compared to what could have happened in Tarpon Springs and in neighboring coastal communities along the bayous and sloughs \u2063of Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast.<\/p>\n<p>Early-model tracks projected landfalls \u2064near Homosassa \u200cand Crystal River, about 80 to 100 miles north of\u200b Tampa Bay, with storm surges of up to 12 feet\u200c in the\u200b swampy Nature Coast and at least seven to eight \u2063feet in Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the fast-formed storm quickly churned past Tampa Bay, its eye passing 125 miles\u2063 west of Tarpon Springs nine hours before it made landfall as a \u200cCategory 3 storm about 8 a.m. near Perry, \u200babout 50 miles southeast of \u2063Tallahassee and more than 185 miles north of Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n<p>In its bullet-train track to Florida\u2019s Big Bend, Idalia moved too fast to wallop the Tampa Bay area with its 120-mile-per-hour winds and sustained drenching rains, but\u2014as projected\u2014it pushed a lot of water ashore in its wake, at least \u200csix feet of storm surge-propelled flooding in Tarpon \u2062Springs.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 day after, Idalia\u2019s storm surge, combined \u200dwith a high tide, left much of the Tarpon Springs \u2063Sponge Docks Exchange area, with its distinctive\u200d rows of Greek restaurants, inundated in thigh-high seawater.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Montgomery and his family were sweeping the sea into the street from their Vintage \u200dClothing store on Athens Street.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiterally, as soon \u2064as we opened the door this morning, we could see \u200bthe water inside just pour out,\u201d he said inside his narrow shop, dank and hot \u2064with the power cut off.<\/p>\n<p>The good news \u2062was that \u200bthe tide was receding. \u2064Water was streaming from the shop, trickling across the sidewalk, joining a tidal rivulet that was returning the sea to the river.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Montgomery told The Epoch Times that he\u2019s owned Vintage Clothing \u2062for two\u2063 years and, depending on the extent of damage, conceded, \u201cWe\u2019re probably going out of business \u2062soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But how much damage the store incurred from the storm \u2062surge was unclear, he said. Power was still \u200con\u2014although he had shut his off\u2014but he \u2062was uncertain if he could or should turn the power back \u200bon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wonder because it&#8217;s saltwater. So\u2062 you&#8217;re wondering\u2064 if it \u200dcame up\u2064 so high,\u201d he pointed to the second\u2063 level of shelf rack on the back wall, \u201cyou\u2019re kind of wondering, like the electrical, \u200bthe drywall, anything that&#8217;s in there. It&#8217;s like somebody, or some company or something, should have to\u2063 come in and at \u200cleast check out the buildings, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A\u200b police car in Tarpon Springs, \u2063Fla., blocks motorists from driving down Dodecanese \u2063Boulevard to \u200dthe Sponge Docks Exchange on\u2063 Aug. 30, \u200d2o23 after Hurricane Idalia passed \u2062125 miles off the coast the night before, sending\u2064 a\u2062 storm surge that flooded much of the area. (John Haughey\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Proud Greek \u200bHeritage<\/h2>\n<p>The streets were full of the sloshing curious, mostly residents of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/idf-assisting-with-response-to-miami-building-collapse-turns-down-free-hotel-rooms-to-sleep-in-tents\/\" title=\"IDF Assisting With Response To Miami Building Collapse, Turns Down Free Hotel Rooms To Sleep In Tents\">tight-knit community<\/a>, which claims to have the\u200c largest per-capita population of people with \u2064Greek\u200d heritage \u200bin the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Tarpon Springs is regionally renowned for its \u2062annual \u200cJan. \u20636 crucifix dive in Spring Bayou, where as many\u200c as 70 teenage\u2062 divers seek to be the \u200cfirst to pluck the cross\u200b from the bottom and bring it to the surface during the largest Epiphany celebration\u2063 in the Western Hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>The town was founded by Greek sponge fishermen, a legacy recounted in the 1953 film &#8220;Beneath the 12-Mile Reef&#8221; starring Robert Wagner and Anthony Quinn, which plays continuously at the Sponge Docks Exchange visitor center.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Fox and his two shipmates aboard the 21-ton, 45-year-old \u200cSusie Sea are among the last of that legacy still diving \u2064for\u2064 sponges in wetsuits and weight belts north\u200d of Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just came\u200d in \u2063about three days ago. We got our trip cut\u200c short\u201d with the approach of Idalia, he said, noting that\u200d their 20 days at sea was 10 days short of their usual excursions.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Mr. Fox said, the Susie Sea was working off Steinhatchee on the \u2064Big Bend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey just \u200cgot hit pretty bad\u2064 and \u200bthere\u2019s, like, just one road to get in there,\u201d\u200c he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a hard place to \u2064get help\u200c to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The wooden ship was loaded with bundled sponges. Buyers will \u2062be coming soon, \u2063and\u200d the\u200d Susie\u2062 Sea \u2064will return to \u200cthe sponge beds again, according to Mr.\u2064 Fox.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe \u2062Idalia will do some good, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cActually, all the water has been so hot. A\u200d lot of stuff, it\u2019s hard out here,\u201d Mr. Fox said.\u2063 \u201cThe visibility\u200b will be bad for a while,\u2062 until everything&#8217;s shaken\u2064 out, but it&#8217;ll \u2063do some good\u201d in churning up sentiment and cooling northeastern \u2062Gulf waters.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Steve Odom \u200dstands on the porch of his home \u2062in Tarpon Springs, Fla., on \u200cAugust 30, 2023, which was still\u2063 surrounded by flood waters caused by\u200c Hurricane Idalia passing offshore the night before. (Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Sponge Dock Sloshfest<\/h2>\n<p>Lucas McClain \u2063and Karyatis Xristou were among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/day-after-idalia-residents-race-time-and-tides-to-sweep-the-sea-from-tarpon-springs-streets\/\" title=\"After Idalia, Tarpon Springs residents rush against time and tides to clear the sea from their streets.\">local high school \u200dstudents wading<\/a> about Dodecanese Boulevard, checking in with\u2064 businesses owned by neighbors they\u2019ve known all their lives.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, Mr. Xristou and his father had to beat \u200btheir \u2064way through rising waters to get to the family-owned restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was all the way up to here,\u201d the\u200c 16-year-old told The Epoch Times, pointing to his hip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the craziest thing I&#8217;ve ever seen. I&#8217;ve never seen\u200d anything like this in my life. I pray for the\u200d people out here because I&#8217;ve \u200cseen a lot of \u2063people&#8217;s houses got flooded, you know? And it&#8217;s \u200dreally sad. I&#8217;ve never seen flooding like this in my life. I&#8217;ve never seen \u2064it like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, there could be some side benefits to the town\u2019s main street being underwater, Mr. McClain said, scanning\u200d the street for a passing \u201cbig mouth \u200cbilly bass.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m thinking\u200b about fishing right now,\u201d Mr. Xristou said.\u200c \u201cIt\u2019s the perfect time, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Susan Brooks of Susan\u2019s Flags on Dodecanese was sweeping debris and grit from a parking lot. She was hoping to be back \u200dand busy the next day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019d have to speak with \u200ca city person\u201d about when the Sponge\u200d Docks would be reopened, \u200cshe said. But good luck with that on this day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re all so busy cleaning up this mess,\u201d Ms. Brooks\u200c said.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Reporters wade through flood waters inundating Dodecanese Boulevard in Tarpon Springs, Fla., \u2062early on August\u200c 30, 2023\u2063 as\u200b Hurricane Idalia passes offshore. (Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Mold: Hidden Cost \u200bof All That\u2019s Lost<\/h2>\n<p>Michael Blackburn of Mold Solutions of Clearwater, a post-disaster remediation company, was on the scene at Hellas Restaurant as workers were squeegeeing water \u2062out the door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to help them with the extraction of the water and the dehumidifying process to help\u2063 get them back into business,\u201d he said, noting that Hellas never lost power and kept its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/europe-ban-on-importing-russian-coal-will-mean-even-higher-energy-prices\/\" title=\"Europe Ban on Importing Russian Coal Will Mean Even Higher Energy Prices\">air conditioning running<\/a>, which should\u200b help to limit mold growth.<\/p>\n<p>Despite \u200ca good early prognosis that Hellas was spared significant damage, Mr. Blackburn said that won\u2019t be certain for days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoy, in situations like\u200d this, it could take five,\u2064 seven days to get completely dry,\u201d he said. \u200b\u201cYou know, you want to make sure you\u2019re\u200c not having the possibility of microbial growth or anything like that. We want to be able to take care of everything at first go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t take a\u2063 storm to put water on Tarpon Springs\u2019 streets. As w<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Tarpon Springs, Florida, at daybreak, fishermen waded through waist-deep water to check if their ships were still anchored to Anclote River piers. Despite the flooded businesses on Dodecanese Boulevard, the fishing boats remained safely afloat in the swollen river.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":509,"featured_media":2018636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2018635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2018635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2018636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2018635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2018635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2018635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}