Residents know they got off easy with streets-turned-creeks and empty businesses. That's nothing, they say. Remember the no-name storm?
By NORA KOCH
Published September 16, 2004
TARPON SPRINGS - Oh, Ivan, we hardly knew thee.
Whew.
But for a few hours Wednesday, the 'cane of the moment made sure Sponge City knew how lucky it was.
Although Hurricane Ivan's winds and rain stayed away, a storm-fed tidal surge swelled into the city's waterfront areas, drowning docks and flooding streets, early Wednesday afternoon. Police blocked roads, at least one shop took in some water and business fizzled down at the Sponge Docks.
"If this is the worst that we get of Ivan, thank God," said Mayor Beverley Billiris. "Our prayers are with those who will get it worse."
Weather reports had predicted the high-tide surge, and city officials sent out a warning to Sponge Docks merchants Monday, offering them an early crack at sandbag materials.
The surge also pumped water into Tarpon Springs' bayous and beaches, putting the Epiphany's staging platform nearly underwater and shortening the beach at Fred Howard Park. Soon after flooding started, city officials closed several roads, including parts of Dodecanese, Spring, Whitcomb and Meres boulevards and Riverside Drive.
While high waters aren't unusual near Tarpon Springs' bayous, beach areas and the Anclote River, Wednesday's flooding seemed a little strange because it came without rain.
By about 1:30 p.m., low-lying sections of waterfront streets were flooded. Three hours later, the water had receded. The city was already thinking about a second, higher tidal surge, expected to have been about 2 a.m. today.
Down at the Sponge Docks at lunchtime, as the Anclote River creeped up to the tip of the seawall at high tide, its brackish water seeped through gaps and bubbled up at drainage inlets in the roads. Engineers measured the tide at 3.8 feet above the mean sea level, compared with the normal high tide of 2.5 feet above the mean.
With as much as a foot of standing water in some sections of Dodecanese Boulevard, business came to a standstill at the outside Greek mall.
Bored merchants gathered on the sidewalks, grumpy about slow business but heartened by the grace of another missed storm and what could have been.
With Hellas Restaurant and Bakery nearly empty, owner Bessie Kartes stood outside remembering the time the no-name storm really flooded the Sponge Docks in 1993.
"This is nothing," said Kartes, whose family owns five buildings on Dodecanese Boulevard. "We lucked out. We're pretty happy just to get this."
High waters along the Sponge Docks' main drag is annoying for local merchants but not unfamiliar. Store owners have ready-to-go flood plans and are used to the drill.
When the water started coming up and then leaking through the door at Catherine's Linen Shop, on the low-lying corner of Athens Street, Catherine Billiris and her sister packed merchandise into plastic bins - same as they did when Charley and Frances were on the way.
"I don't fix my tiles in the floor," she said, laughing. "I've had so many storms, so many floods. Why fix it?"
At Gloria's Gifts, Merlin Krutzik closed his store early so he could put his flood protection plan in place.
First he would put a thick slab of plywood in front of the door, then seal it with a foam and silicone sealant. With a second, bigger high tide predicted, he had to take action in time for the sealant to dry before then.
Although the lunchtime business was a bust at Santorini's Greek Grill, which usually boasts waterfront dining, owner Tula Manglis felt relieved.
When she got to the restaurant after the no-name storm, the dining room was flooded and fish were swimming around the chairs and tables.
"Thank God we didn't get the real Ivan."
Staff writers Aaron Sharockman and Carrie Pratt contributed to this report. Nora Koch can be reached at 727 771-4304 or nkoch@sptimes.com
