RECOVER. AND AT THIS POINT, WE KNOW THE ISLAND COMMUNITY OF CEDAR KEY, FLORIDA, WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS IN THE PATH OF HURRICANE IDALIA PHILIP COLLINS IS A NATIVE OF THE UPSTATE WHO HAS BEEN LIVING IN CEDAR KEY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. PHILIP IS THE OWNER OF TIDEWATER TOURS, A SMALL COMPANY THAT PROVIDES SCENIC AND EDUCATIONAL BOAT TOURS TO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE. THE DOCK AREA FOR TIDEWATER TOURS WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, ELIMINATING PHILIP’S ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME. HE HAS STARTED A GO FUND ME TO HELP HIS BUSINESS RESURFACE. THE PURPOSE OF THE GO FUND ME IS TO BUILD THIS DOCK BACK SO THAT I CAN CONTINUE DOING WHAT I DO AND AND CONTINUE TAKING PEOPLE ON THIS TOURS. WE INTEND TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND WE INTEND INTEND TO KEEP DOING WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR SO LONG, HE SAYS HIS BUSINESS LOCATION ON THE WATER WAS UNINSURED. WE’LL HAVE THE FULL STOR
Upstate native details losing Cedar Key, FL, based business during Hurricane Idalia
Philip Collins, a native of the Upstate and current Cedar Key, FL, resident, lost his business due to damage from Hurricane Idalia
Many homes, businesses and lives were uprooted by the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Idalia last week.Cedar Key, Florida, turned out to be one of the hardest-hit areas. Philip Collins, an Upstate native and current Cedar Key resident, was a front-row witness to Idalia’s impact.“Cedar Key is a small community,” Collins said. “Less than 800 full-time residents. It was an intense night. A long night. Watching the waters come up the hill and sometimes 80-100 mph winds. Buildings being removed. Just the devastation and destruction, it was hard to watch.”Collins is the owner of Tidewater Tours, a small business specializing in providing scenic and educational tours to visitors and residents. Collins said he was able to move his two tour boats inland about 25 miles, and those didn’t sustain any damage. However, his docks were completely destroyed.“My business is giving tours on the water to people, and most of them are first-time visitors to Cedar Key,” Collins said. “I explain the history and the culture of this area. That dock was completely removed. It’s gone, and that was my place of business where people signed up for the tours, as well as where we met to load to go on these tours. Tidewater Tours is my only source of income.”As his only source of income, Collins said he’s in urgent help from the community to help with efforts to rebuild his business. Collins has started a GoFundMe.”The purpose of the GoFundMe is to build this dock back so that I can continue doing what I do and continue taking people on those tours,” Collins said. “We intend to stay in business, and we intend to keep doing what we’ve been doing for so long. This place is resilient. The restaurants will come back, the hotels will come back, the gift shops will be here, and we will rebuild.”To help with efforts to rebuild Tidewater Tours, click here.
Many homes, businesses and lives were uprooted by the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Idalia last week.
Cedar Key, Florida, turned out to be one of the hardest-hit areas. Philip Collins, an Upstate native and current Cedar Key resident, was a front-row witness to Idalia’s impact.
“Cedar Key is a small community,” Collins said. “Less than 800 full-time residents. It was an intense night. A long night. Watching the waters come up the hill and sometimes 80-100 mph winds. Buildings being removed. Just the devastation and destruction, it was hard to watch.”
Collins is the owner of Tidewater Tours, a small business specializing in providing scenic and educational tours to visitors and residents. Collins said he was able to move his two tour boats inland about 25 miles, and those didn’t sustain any damage. However, his docks were completely destroyed.
“My business is giving tours on the water to people, and most of them are first-time visitors to Cedar Key,” Collins said. “I explain the history and the culture of this area. That dock was completely removed. It’s gone, and that was my place of business where people signed up for the tours, as well as where we met to load to go on these tours. Tidewater Tours is my only source of income.”
As his only source of income, Collins said he’s in urgent help from the community to help with efforts to rebuild his business. Collins has started a GoFundMe.
“The purpose of the GoFundMe is to build this dock back so that I can continue doing what I do and continue taking people on those tours,” Collins said. “We intend to stay in business, and we intend to keep doing what we’ve been doing for so long. This place is resilient. The restaurants will come back, the hotels will come back, the gift shops will be here, and we will rebuild.”
To help with efforts to rebuild Tidewater Tours, click here.