Hurricane Recovery
#AMISTRONG
Updated as of 11/13/24
Community First, Safety Always
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene & Milton, our beloved Anna Maria Island has endured significant damage. While we are deeply committed to welcoming back visitors who bring life and energy to our shores, our priority right now is the safety of our community and the island’s recovery efforts. Every home has been assessed and clean-up is underway. A few of our homes sustained absolutely no damage whatsoever other than exterior storm clean-up, a large majority of our homes which are elevated and built for hurricane and flood in mind experienced flooding in only the garage, entry, or lower level pool areas so will be quicker to recover. Our hardest hit areas are our ground level single-story homes.
All existing guests with impacted reservations have been cancelled and refunded at this time now through November 15th. Beyond that date our standard cancellation policy applies. All future guests have been contacted to re-confirm their reservation at this time.ONLY IF the home you originally booked was unavailable for your planned dates of stay were you further contacted with alternative options. At this time, if you have a reservation with us, plan to come as originally reserved!
As of now, each home, city and area of the island are impacted differently and in varying stages of the recovery process. Some areas will take longer. Many businesses, restaurants, and beaches are already reopened.
There is undeniably a lot to clean up on the island, but contrary to many reports... the entire island and its beaches are not completely washed away or uninhabitable.
We are doing everything we can to expedite the recovery processes, and we will keep you informed every step of the way in particular if your home was more significantly impacted. Please know and trust that all recovery and cleanup efforts are being done professionally and correctly per guidelines to ensure the safety and comfort of all our future guests. We would never open a home up to visitors that we would not put our own families in.
We live here, we work here, we send our children to school here and we are already quickly bringing our beloved island paradise back to life. You WILL be able to come back and enjoy the Anna Maria Island you know and love in a very few short weeks and months. We have already started to host guests safely, comfortably, and with access to the same amenities and experiences.
We are posting real time and honest video and photo updates as much as possible on our Facebook and Instagram so you can see yourself the progress.
Please support our island and local businesses by not cancelling your future reservation just yet!
Your patience and support during this time are greatly appreciated. Together, we will rebuild and ensure that when you do return, the island will be the beautiful, welcoming place you remember.
With Love and Hope,
The Once Upon A Beach Team
All homes are going through a thorough interior and exterior cleaning process, landscape and debris removal process, pool restoration and chemical rebalancing, and completion of ‘guest-readiness’ inspection checklist to ensure everything is buttoned up and ready to go.
Any of our elevated homes only experienced flooding in the lower levels. That is by design and the homes are built for it. Our ground level homes were hit the hardest and many are completely cleared out of any water touched items… drywall, cabinets, AC units, water heaters, electrical outlets, and furniture. All our being properly restored per permitting requirements and legal inspections and new furnishings brought back in. Additionally, the city may require us to undergo another inspection prior to reopening. Rest assured, any homes that had ANY type of water intrusion are being intensely and professionally restored per all health and safety guidelines.
The owners of Once Upon A Beach experienced this with their own personal in 2023 after Hurricane Idalia. So we personally understand exactly what is required to ensure everything is properly removed, dried out, and disinfected prior to restoring the home. We would NEVER put a family into a home that we would not put our own family in. We are taking care of our homes the correct way now, so we can take ensure our guests are taking care of in the future.
READINESS GOALS:
5 Homes & Pools Ready As of 11/16 (14%)
16 Homes & Pools Ready 11/23 (43%)
22 Homes & Pools Ready by 12/18 (60%)
32 Homes & Pools by January (86%)
37 Homes & Pools by Spring/Summer 2025 (100%)
There are NO vacation rental moratoriums, curfews, or limited access to any area of the island as of 11/2/24
All bridges and roadways are OPEN to vehicular, pedestrian, and bike traffic. Limited side streets or sidewalks may be closed.Manatee Public Beach including AMI Beach Cafe & Parking is OPEN
Southern end of Coquina Beach & South Coquina Parking is OPEN
Beaches have been professionally cleaned and raked and are accessible from most beach access points along the gulf coast. The popular Bean Point beach access paths and a few others are still temporarily closed. Please know parking at most side streets may be temporarily limited due to sand piles. We also advise wearing water shoes or protective shoes while walking along the pathways, sidewalks, and streets at this time.
MCAT & Trolley Service is RUNNING
Rod & Reel Pier and City of Anna Maria Pier are CLOSED INDEFINITELY
Boat ramps on island remain closed at this time with exception to South Coquina which is open to all boaters.
Gulf Islands Ferry is only operational for island residents, workers, and contractors at this time
Many Island Restaurants and Businesses are Reopening EVERY DAY. You can view the up to date list on our Facebook page.
Publix and all main gas stations, general, and convenience stores are open... CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, AMI General Store, Beach Hut Convenience, Circle K, Shell, Mobil, Ace Hardware, etc
Grocery delivery services have resumed by Instacart, Kroger, and Loaded KitchenCoquina Beach Market will be reopening Friday 1/3/25
Anna Maria Island/Bradenton Area Recovery Information
https://www.bradentongulfislands.com/recovery/
Water/Beach Quality Reports can be found below.
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=87162eec3eb846218cec711d16462a72
Our office is temporarily closed but we are our available to answer all your questions!
The BEST source for up to date information on what is open, home status, and overall island vibe is our social media accounts!
info@onceuponabeachami.com
941-584-5844
Monday - Saturday 9-5
Don't cancel your reservation just yet! Give us some time! Additionally follow us on Facebook & Instagram, share and like our posts, and if you have stayed with us before or had an amazing experience with your booking or cancellation process recently, please leave us a 5 star review! As a small business, all the good vibes sent our way is a HUGE help to us! So spread the word!
Bradenton Area Convention Center and Tourism Bureau in collaboration with The Center of AMI are providing centralized support for donations, benefit concerts, and updates regarding how you can support our area and what is open!
https://www.bradentongulfislands.com/recovery/
https://centerami.org/hurricane-relief-information/
