Florida naturist communities face challenges after hurricanes
Nudist clubs and beaches across Florida sustain widespread damage, but the naturist community unites for recovery
Updated 10/13 11:30am PDT: Updated to share GoFundMe page for Sunnier Palms.
Updated 10/13 12:30pm PDT: Updated to add photos from Lake Como.
Florida’s naturist communities are reeling from the damage caused by two back-to-back hurricanes—Milton and Helene. In early October 2024, Hurricane Milton slammed into the state, causing widespread destruction to nudist clubs, clothing-optional beaches, and residential areas. Just ten days earlier, Hurricane Helene left many struggling to recover. Nudist spaces such as Lake Como, Sunnier Palms, Suwannee Valley Resort, and Playalinda and Blind Creek Beaches bore the brunt of the storms, with some clubs facing prolonged closures and severe damage to their infrastructure and homes.
Despite these setbacks, the community, supported by the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and other regional and national organizations, is showing resilience as it moves forward with cleanup and recovery.
Extensive damage to clubs and beaches
Reports from Florida’s naturist spaces indicate substantial damage across several locations. Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm at landfall, struck the state on October 9, 2024, with sustained winds of more than 100 miles per hour and spurred dozens of tornadoes across the region. According to Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), residents of Lake Como nudist resort were evacuated and the club temporarily closed to the public due to significant damage to its water and sewer systems.
Homes at the resort were also damaged, leaving residents displaced while utilities were restored. The club remains closed to all but permanent residents as of this writing. “Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest concerns are extended to the many people impacted by recent catastrophic weather,” Schuttauf wrote in the organization’s weekly report. “Thankfully, there have been no reports of physical injury to members, but there have been injuries and fatalities to other loved ones and neighbors in the state.”
Additional details from Shirley Mason, Executive Director of the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, further illustrate the scale of damage at Lake Como. Mild flooding was reported, with about three inches of water surrounding parts of the lake. The resort’s “Butt Hut” sustained some damage, and an uprooted tree trapped an elderly couple in their trailer until neighbors came to their aid.
Mason also shared that the restaurant’s door was blown off its hinges, but the staff managed to open by using gas grills to serve breakfast. The sewage pump, disabled by power outages, required emergency pumping services, which added to the mounting recovery costs at $2,000 per visit.
Many residents, like Deb Hedding, are still grappling with the aftermath. Hedding, a Lake Como resident who evacuated, described Milton in a text to Shirley Mason as “one of the most stressful nights of my life.”
Lake Como resident and board member Maryanne Rettig described the community spirit that emerged after the storm, saying, “The boots hit the ground Thursday morning, with people coming together to start the massive cleanup.” Rettig detailed how neighbors helped remove debris, provided meals, and offered support to those who were unable to help with the physical work. “People who couldn’t clean up went around offering water and drinks to the people doing the cleanup,” she added, reflecting the strong sense of community as Lake Como worked to recover.
Meanwhile, Sunnier Palms, a cooperative nudist community in Fort Pierce, was devastated by a tornado, one of many spawned by Hurricane Milton. The tornado ripped through the community, destroying homes and leaving the pool area in disrepair. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help raise funds for the club’s recovery. The club is expected to remain closed for a month or more as it picks up the pieces.
While Milton delivered a heavy blow to the state, some nudist spaces were fortunate to avoid the worst of the storm. Sunsport Gardens in Loxahatchee, for instance, was hit by a tornado, but damage was largely limited to downed trees and minor landscape damage, allowing the club to stay open. Cypress Cove Resort, located in Kissimmee, had many residents evacuate for safety and reportedly saw strong winds, but has not reported significant damage.
Florida’s famed clothing-optional beaches were not spared. Playalinda and Apollo beaches, both part of the Canaveral National Seashore, were closed by the National Park Service and remain under assessment. Canaveral National Seashore reopened October 12th with warnings of dangerous weather conditions and rip currents at Playalinda and Apollo Beaches. Blind Creek beach in Fort Pierce also had significant damages.
In Kissimmee, the AANR office itself was not immune to the impacts of the storm. Schuttauf reported that the office building sustained minor damage to its front façade, and that half of the staff has been left without internet and email access, hampering communications.
AANR and local organizations rally for recovery
In the wake of these storms, AANR and its Florida Region have stepped up to provide support to the affected naturist clubs. AANR President Linda Weber told Planet Nude, “We are keeping all who have been affected by not only the multiple hurricanes but also the tornadoes they spawned, in our thoughts and prayers. We have reached out to offer assistance and support as well as FEMA information to the resorts involved. We are actively monitoring the situation.”
In addition to sharing critical information about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance, AANR has activated its disaster relief programs. These programs are designed to provide financial aid to AANR-affiliated clubs, helping them with the immediate costs of recovery.
“The AANR-Florida Region uses Disaster Relief Funds to provide financial assistance to our clubs that have suffered from natural disasters, including those from this tumultuous hurricane season,” said Joe Rives, President of the AANR-Florida Region. “Our program provides up to $5,000 per club for repairs and replacements not covered by insurance,” he added. AANR also makes no interest loans available of $5,000 to AANR clubs, and up to $10,000 for 100% clubs (clubs where club membership is tied to AANR membership).
Suwannee Valley Resort (SVR), a club that had to temporarily close twice—due to Hurricane Helene and one earlier this season because of previous storms—received a $5,000 grant from the AANR-Florida Region. The grant helped the club begin repairs after suffering flooding and infrastructure damage. SVR is now back open, but the challenges it faces highlight the uphill battle for many clubs in Florida.
Shirley Mason echoed this sentiment of the community coming together, emphasizing the importance of long-term recovery planning. “The storms showed us that many of these clubs need more robust rebuilding strategies, especially in coastal areas prone to flooding,” she said. Her organization, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, has been actively supporting the recovery efforts, particularly for Florida’s nude beaches, which were heavily impacted by the storms.
Joe Rives agreed. “Robust rebuilding planning is something that effects our clubs in coastal areas and other areas that are prone to natural disasters across North America and the Caribbean,” he noted, adding, “The aftermath of the past two hurricanes, has shown that AANR, through its boards, executive office, and members are strongly committed to helping one another in these regards.”
Resilience in the face of disaster
Despite the immense damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the Florida naturist community remains resilient. Clubs are reopening, and the spirit of cooperation among them is strong. While some, like Sunnier Palms, face longer recovery times, others are using this moment to reassess and strengthen their infrastructure to better withstand future storms.
BG Parkes, owner of SVR, exemplifies the community’s resilience. Despite her own club’s difficulties, she was among the first to offer assistance to neighboring clubs like Sunnier Palms, demonstrating the close-knit nature of Florida’s naturist communities. In fact, Fern Hills launched a GoFundMe for SVR, but BG requested it be closed, expressing that other clubs were in greater need of funds than her own.
As Florida rebuilds, the support from AANR, local organizations, and individuals will be vital in helping the naturist community recover from this difficult chapter. Although the road ahead may be long, the solidarity within this unique community is a reminder that even in the face of disaster, there is hope for renewal. 🪐
Disclosure: The author serves on the AANR Public Relations Committee and the Board of Governors for the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation. Opinions expressed in this article are informed by this involvement but do not represent the official views of AANR, B.E.A.C.H.E.S., or any other organization.
My heart goes out to everyone affected by these catastrophes.