Local salon withstands impacts from 3 major hurricanes

One hurricane can be devastating; however, three storms will force you to find better ways to prepare for impacts.

The Bare Roots Salon is a longstanding staple in the Fort Myers community as it, like many others, has been tested against the likes of Hurricane Ian in 2022.

WINK News spoke with the salon owner, Juliana Zedeker, about her recovery after Ian demolished her business.

“I just couldn’t stop crying. It was devastating,” said Zedeker, “It was everything was moved under the ground.”

She learned the crucial lesson of preparation before the storm lands.

Not prepared at all. No, we did absolutely nothing in the salon, nothing. We just left before the hurricane and came back the next day with very sad news,” said Zedeker.

This harsh lesson taught her resilience.

“So it’s just, you know, just shifting the mind shift, shifting the mindset. And I just now try to look at the positivity,” said Zedeker.

Zedeker was able to recover from Ian; however, Ian would not be the last hurricane to test her business.

When Hurricane Helene landed in late September, Zedeker took her learned experiences and adjusted accordingly.

Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton arrived, forcing Zedeker and her staff to relocate their important materials to a safer location.

We’re gonna pack it this way because the last time we packed it, we packed it backward, and we need these supplies when we first get everything off the truck so we can help clean up after the storm,” said stylist Betsy Sheffler. “So it’s like little tweaks here and there that we learn over the time.”

After the storm, Zederker and her staff had a much easier time cleaning up and even enjoyed playing in the puddle water.

When asked about moving to a new location away from the Calooshatchee River, Zedeker replied that she would stay put because that building is her home.