Many tourist areas bouncing back after storms

No doubt about it, four mighty meteorological tourists, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, had a huge impact on Florida and the Caribbean basin during the past two months. Images of dramatic wind damage, beach-pounding storm surges and pervasive flooding have filled the headlines. Hundreds of people have died and millions of lives have been disrupted. So why are we focusing on Florida in this week's travel section? The simple answer is that the places we're covering got through the storms relatively unscathed, with only minor flooding and wind damage. Robert Jenkins, travel editor for the St. Petersburg Times, reports that "the Orlando theme parks are operating more or less normally" (see Halloween updates, Page 3), and in most other areas, cosmetic repairs are being implemented, destroyed vegetation cleaned up and replanted, and power and other infrastructure repaired. Gregg Laskowski of AAA Auto Club South confirms that all of the state's airports are open and major roadways back to normal. For the latest reports, check www.aaasouth.com/acs_news/emergency.asph. In short, despite a few areas that suffered more severe damage, sunshine is returning to many sections of the Sunshine State. For the most part, visitor and convention bureaus representing popular vacation destinations are reporting that local damage has been minimal or that hotels and resorts are cleaning up and rebuilding. Most have time, since Florida's busiest season is still several weeks away. Many hotels and resorts are promoting business as usual or saying that they'll be ready to host visitors this fall and winter. Some are even offering special post-storm discounts to entice visitors. Still it behooves would-be travelers to exercise some caution. Florida is heavily dependent on tourism dollars, and there's a definite incentive to paint as sunny a picture as possible. Unfortunately, Florida's primary visitor Web site (www.visitflorida.com) provides scant information on the post-hurricane situation. The same is true of various local tourist department Web sites. Where post-hurricane information has been posted online, it is usually found in the "press release" section. More helpful is to call the individual visitor bureaus and speak with someone who will be able to answer specific questions, although this information is often sugar-coated. Damage in Florida The area hardest hit was the northwest panhandle along the Gulf Coast -- including Pensacola and Perdido Key, as well as Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in neighboring Alabama -- which took the full brunt of Ivan's fury. It, too, is recovering, but slowly. For example, the 13 communities in the Beaches of South Walton suffered extensive erosion, but structural damage was minimal and all roads are now reported open, including the highway bridge across Escambia Bay. For updates, go to www.beachesofsouthwalton.com. The southern Gulf Coast was hit hard by Charley. Sanibel and Captiva islands suffered extensive damage, and although many hotels have reopened, others will be closed for months. You'll find a list at www.sanibel-captiva.org/islandstatus.html. Naples, farther south, was also hammered, while Marco Island emerged relatively unscathed. And the east coast, from Palm Beach north to Titusville, felt the wrath of both Frances and Jeanne. Although many Palm Beach County hotels and resorts did suffer significant storm damage, most report that they are now reopened, although room availability may be limited. Power outages remain the single largest hurdle, but they're being addressed quickly. For information, visit www.palmbeachfl.com or call 1-561-233-3000. The bottom line: If you have a Florida trip planned in the near future, make a point to call and find out the situation at your destination or hotel. If you'd like a less nuanced report, contact the local police department. Finally, you can find a broad compendium of storm damage at www.hurricanecity.com. Caribbean sites closed In the Caribbean, however, some of the hardest hit areas will require years to recover. The State Department (www.travel.state.gov) is still advising travelers to stay away from Grenada and the Cayman Islands and urging caution when traveling to Jamaica or Grand Bahama. Places suffering little or mild damage include Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Tobago, Turks & Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands and in Mexico, Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Grenada was among the hardest hit by Ivan, whose strong winds damaged 80 percent of the buildings on the island. The Spice Island Beach Resort, for example, says rebuilding will take a year; other places may never reopen. Grand Cayman was also devastated by Ivan, which by some estimates destroyed 50 percent of the homes on the low-lying island; the storm surge left everything underwater and ravaged beaches. Tourism officials talk more about what is being done to restore power and services than how badly the island has been battered. Big hotels claim they will be open relatively soon, but with so much damage, it's hard to see how they'll recover that quickly. Jamaica missed the worst of Ivan, but heavy winds and rain were still strong enough to destroy houses, wash out roads and knock out electricity. But the island nation is bouncing back relatively quickly. Ports in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay are open to cruise ships, and with the exception of a few resorts in Negril, most hotels and resorts are open for business. Grand Bahama Island took direct hits from both Frances and Jeanne, with some extensive damage to many buildings and much infrastructure. Many resorts suffered cosmetic damage, and some roofs were blown off and power poles knocked over. The government reports that the Best Western Castaways Resort, Island Palms Resort, Island Seas Resort and Pelican Bay Hotel are fully operational. The Sheraton at Our Lucaya (and the Isle of Capri Casino) will resume operations Thursday, and the Westin at Our Lucaya will re-open Nov. 1. Other major properties on Grand Bahama Island including the Wyndham Viva Fortuna Beach, The Royal Oasis Golf Resort and Old Bahama Bay Resort are expected to resume operation after December. As far as cruise lines go, all of Florida's cruise ports are open and operating normally, with the exception of Port Canaveral. Elsewhere, Grand Cayman's port remains closed, and all cruise traffic is being diverted to other islands or spending extra days at sea. If you're sailing anytime soon, call the cruise line or your travel agent or check the cruise line's Web site regarding any itinerary changes.
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