LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — It’s been over a week since a deadly storm swept through Walworth County.

The timing couldn’t have been worse for Lake Geneva, as the Fourth of July is the city’s busiest weekend.

Local business owners said they rely on that holiday to survive the year.

What You Need To Know

It’s been over a week since a deadly storm swept through Walworth County

It came at a crucial time for businesses in Lake Geneva, as the Fourth of July is the city’s busiest weekend

The extreme weather has created financial hardship for local business owners who rely on the holiday to survive the year

A fundraiser has raised nearly $10,000 to help those impacted

“There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm for the holiday that was coming up,” said Kent Martzke, co-owner of Elmer’s Boat Rentals in Lake Geneva. “We didn’t know the magnitude of the storm that was approaching.”

Martzke was dockside when destructive wind gusts blew over Geneva Lake.

“We were very fortunate that we were able to take care of everybody that was out in the storm and not just through our business, but the boaters on the lake that were looking for refuge that came in off the water,” Martzke said.

Even though the storm came and went quickly, it’s created financial hardships for the hundreds of businesses in downtown Lake Geneva.

“It was probably one of our slowest Fourth of Julys we’ve ever had,” said Alethea Salgado, co-owner of Treasure Cove, one of the oldest businesses in town.

She and the rest of the Lake Geneva community and beyond are still mourning the loss of three children who died on Geneva Lake after a boat they were on capsized from the severe wind gusts.

“There was this overwhelming black cloud over the weekend,” said Salgado. “We were all hurting. We were all sad for everybody.”

Salgado said tourism is what has kept her family’s business open for 41 years. The same goes for Martzke.

“We had people calling and asking us, ‘Is it okay to come to Lake Geneva? Is it safe? What is the damage like? Do you not want us to be there?’” Martzke said.

He said he had a lot of last-minute reservation cancellations and had to issue refunds out of his own pocket. But he and Salgado are not alone. They are encouraging people to visit Lake Geneva or consider donating to Habitat for Humanity in Walworth County.

“We have a large area to cover, and whatever monies we collect from that are going to go directly to help people who need assistance in recovering their homes,” Salgado said.

So far, they’ve raised close to $10,000 to help those in need.