—populated with unique shops and restaurants—but it also destroyed the island's clam farming business.
While Virginia and Washington state are the nation's largest producers of fresh clams, Cedar Key farmers supply fresh clams nationwide, contributing 120 million clams to the industry. The clamming industry supports 500 jobs in Cedar Key, according to Leslie Sturmer, a shellfish extension specialist at the University of Florida.
A storm-damaged gas station is reflected in a puddle after Hurricane Idalia on August 30, 2023, in Perry, Florida. Flooding also devastated Cedar Key, damaging the island community's clam farming industry.John Schleede is one of the clam farmers on the island. He sells 20 million fresh clams nationwide each year—equivalent to $3 million.
"We're not even allowed on the island back to our homes to assess the damage," he said, adding that damage assessment will likely take a while. Deb Soldatos, who has owned buildings on Cedar Key for 25 years, said that the clams are raised directly in the Gulf of Mexico., in which many insurers have stopped offering new policies in the state after citing hurricane risk. Residents and business owners must pay for the damages out of pocket.