VENICE, Fla. — Several businesses in Venice have temporarily shut their doors as they make repairs caused by the impacts of Hurricane Ian.
One of the managing partners at Tarpon Point Grill and Marina thought the entire restaurant was going to be gone.
"We still had power and I dialed into my security system. We could see the panels flying in," Hector Pescio said.
Pescio said he watched his security cameras in the beginning of the storm when they still had power.
What was a back porch lanai now lays in pieces in front of the restaurant.
If you're driving by the restaurant, it's easy to miss because the sign was taken down by the strong winds from the storm.
"Mother nature, you can’t beat her. You just have to brace yourself," Pescio said.
Now that the storm passed, Pescio said he has a learning lesson for other business owners, which is to make your address visible after a storm.
"I had a roofing company come tear up my roof not knowing they were at the wrong address and my roof was in pretty good shape," Pescio said.
Before the storm, his roof wasn't damaged, but now that parts have been ripped off, he will need to make repairs.
On the bright side, his restaurant didn’t flood, which is amazing as they’re on the Myakka River. Next to the restaurant, the neighborhoods are still dealing with flooding.
Pescio said everyone in this area is without power.
Pescio also said that he is thankful the damage he received isn't a total loss. He has inspectors and workers now determining how much it will cost to fix it.
He said when he thinks of those in the Ft. Myers area, he considers himself lucky.
"It could’ve been much worst than what it is. We can rebuild this," Pescio added.
He hopes to have the restaurant reopen in a month.