Flooded popular Clay County restaurant reopens for business after Nicole leaves surprising aftermath

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A preferred Clay County restaurant has reopened Saturday after experiencing flooding from Tropical Storm Nicole.

Whitey’s Fish Camp — a seafood restaurant in Fleming Island that sits proper off Swimming Pen Creek — is not any stranger to flooding. The managers instructed News4JAX that though they did put together for Nicole’s arrival, they didn’t put together as a lot as they did for Hurricane Ian and realized that wasn’t the only option.

In response to Clay County emergency administration officers, the county acquired about two-and-a-half inches of rain from the storm, which induced extreme flooding in varied areas similar to Inexperienced Cove Springs, Docs Lake and Orange Park.

The tiki bar was flooded, and water coated the docks and car parking zone together with the surface deck.

Together with many different residents, Whitey’s Fish Camp managers aren’t the one ones to underestimate Nicole’s influence.

“Undoubtedly not as ready as we had been for Ian as a result of it was only a tropical storm. However all of our docks had been submerged. We skilled increased flooding with Nicole than we did in Ian, so it virtually obtained to our higher eating deck as effectively. We’re very stunned,” Supervisor Danielle Lawley mentioned.

Regardless of the shocking aftermath, the restaurant didn’t maintain main injury. The floodwaters receded in time for the restaurant to reopen on Saturday, which was a reduction for purchasers and musicians who’ve been coming to Whitey’s for years.

“We grew up with this institution, and we’re blissful to have it again up and operating. We find it irresistible,” mentioned Mike Cook dinner, a musician at Whitey’s.

Though Nicole caught the restaurant off guard, Lawley mentioned they are going to be extra precautious the subsequent time a storm comes round.

“Even when it’s a storm, we’re going to be ready,” Lawley mentioned.

Different areas of Clay County had been additionally returning again to regular as floodwaters began to recede. Clay County residents had been out-and-about in Spring Park in Inexperienced Cove Springs on Saturday, which wasn’t the case Thursday as a result of the realm was solely flooded.

Lots of residents had been stunned by Nicole’s influence because it was a tropical storm. They mentioned they didn’t anticipate a storm of that magnitude to trigger a lot havoc.

“River flooding is widespread, however many didn’t suppose a Nicole would pack this energy,” Derrick Surrat mentioned. “I assumed we had been simply going to get rain and wind however that’s mom nature.”

News4JAX Insiders additionally despatched in photographs of the flooding exhibiting water pouring over sidewalks and flooding boat ramps.

On Friday evening, issues began to get again to regular because the group loved meals vans within the park.