South Florida coastal businesses back in business after Nicole
FORT LAUDERDALE - As storm surge from Hurricane Nicole came onto shore, many coastal shop owners and businesses wondered what the aftermath would be like as the sun came up Thursday morning.
CBS4 talked with one chocolate shop owner who was stressed seeing what happened following Hurricane Ian.
"I was feeling a little nervous when the hurricane wasn't going north and it was still coming west. I mean people in Fort Myers really got hit hard and I didn't want it to happen here," Jan Lendi, owner of Jan's Homemade Candies.
For over 20 years, Lendi and her family have been winning awards for their confections at their shop on Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. More recently, though, her husband started something new that regulars would recognize, he began charting the course of oncoming hurricanes.
"Probably since Wilma," Lendi explained.
Hurricane Wilma was another late one that happened in October of 2005.
"When Wilma came we didn't have electricity for 2 1/2 weeks, so naturally everything melted," she said.
Shortly after, the family put up a sign advertising free chocolates and coffee, they hoped it would bring a bit of sweetness during a dark time.
"Those can be replaced, but people can't," she said.
This time Lendi was relieved, Nicole's impact was minimal and nearby businesses mostly had sand to clean up. Though, notably, the pier at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea suffered a partial collapse that has it now closed off to everyone.
"We were lucky," Lendi added.