CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — Even when the temperature is in the 40’s, there’s something serene about watching the lapping waves of the gulf on Clearwater Beach.

While Floridians are freezing, the people staying at the Avalon Club Hotel let Karen Severiens, the hotel’s assistant general manager, know the weather could be a whole lot worse.

What You Need To Know

  • Spring Break, for many of the businesses on Clearwater Beach, is their busiest time of year

  • It's especially important this year, because it's the first spring break following hurricanes Helene and Milton

  • The problem has been letting people know the beach is back for business, according to  Avalon Club Hotel Assistant General Manager Karen Severiens

“Most of my guests that are here are telling me, ‘Hey, it's better than at home,’” Severiens said. “We have a variety of views. We have a variety of sizes.”

According to Severiens, those different sizes make it a solid spot for families.

“We're a little bit farther away from the crowds of the other end,” she said. “People can go shelling a little farther north. They're great shells up that way. Kids love that. Parents love when the kids love.”

While that may be true, the work to rebound from hurricanes Helene and Milton continues.

In October, Clearwater officials said it could take about three months to fully clean up the community, as they said more than 90 percent of the beaches were cleaned up in that time frame.

You can see continuing work right now, but even still, businesses along Mandalay Avenue and around Clearwater Beach are just counting down the days for spring break.

“It's really our busiest time of the year,” Severiens said. “It's also, I think, when we can put on our best face for people who may decide they want to come back in the summer or may decide this is a great place to be in September.”

According to Severiens, the Avalon got several inches of water in the lobby from Helene, but thankfully, didn’t deal with any damage.

The problem has been, she says, letting people know the beach is back for business.

“We still get people who email us and say, ‘Hey, I heard that there was a big storm. Are you guys up and running again?’” Severiens said.

Well, they are, as are many hotels, restaurants and shops here.

With tourist tax dollars hitting record heights last year in places like St. Pete, Severiens hopes tourists make their way here for another spring break.

According to visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Pinellas County saw over $11 billion in economic impact from tourism in 2024.