ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Many Bayfront businesses in St. Augustine were still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Matthew when Hurricane Irma struck last week and left a trail of damage in its wake.
One of the businesses hardest hit by both storms was the Westcott House Bed & Breakfast along Avenida Menendez, which saw water from the nearby bay rush across the street, up the stairs and inside the business.
Despite the toll exacted by the hurricanes, owner Joy Warren told News4Jax she has no plans to go anywhere. Warren gave a reporter a tour Tuesday as workers made repairs and checked on electrical outlets.
"This shutter was literally ripped off and it weighs a ton," she said of a heavy shutter found lying on the floor in the aftermath of Irma.
Remarkably, some original flooring from 1880 survived the weather. That was not the case for some new flooring installed last year in the wake of Matthew.
"Here we've lost all of the floors, all of the beds," said Warren. "The water was higher on this side of the house, which is what happened last year, too."
Warren noted that while surging floodwaters dislodged a jacuzzi tub last year, a brand new ivory tub didn't budge this time around. Similarly, she found a way to avoid losing the same amount of furniture.
"I just piled it on the beds to save it," she said. "Last year I didn't do that, so I lost a lot of furniture."
While the hurricanes didn't put her out of business, Warren acknowledged they have taken a financial toll. For instance, no one can stay in the lower floor rooms until repairs are complete.
Fortunately, she said, her contractor anticipates things could begin returning to normal as soon as the third week of October. That's something she's looking forward to.