Across the greater Tampa Bay region, people are taking stock of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene. Storm surge of 8 feet and more in some places flooded homes and businesses. Tens of thousands of homes and buildings are damaged, some completely destroyed. Some beachside towns look like a war zone after a wall of water bulldozed sand through the streets. And as of Monday, 11 people were confirmed to have died in our community.
Emergency managers warned people in the path of the storm surge to evacuate. But some stayed behind. Stacey Kennedy, from Connecticut, was visiting her father in Pasco County when the storm hit.
“It got crazy, because we could just hear explosions all around us. There (were) transformers blowing up. There (were) car alarms going off, smoke alarms. You could hear them in all these houses,” Kennedy explained. “A house two doors down from us was flashing 'SOS' with their flashlight, but we couldn't get to them. The water was waist deep, and we weren't going to try and, you know, cut our way over. So, it was … it was quite an experience.”
In Hillsborough County, first responders rescued more than 500 people before the sun rose Friday morning. Some people were able to get out on their own, like Saul Maran, who decided to leave around 1 a.m. Friday when water reached his house in the Tampa neighborhood of Town 'n' Country.
“We started making moves to leave the area, even though it was a very quick-flooding situation. We grabbed the essentials, obviously, the family, the pets, you know, my baby, and we headed out of here,” Maran said. “Thankfully, I have a vehicle that's able to withstand some of this flooding, and we're able to get out. But a lot of people didn't have the opportunity.”
Alexis Rivera lives in Town 'n' Country too. He got his family out in a pickup truck as the floodwaters rose. He also managed to rescue some neighbors along the way.
“When I was going out, I had a lot of people jump in the back too. I was trying to help as many people as I could. A lot of people walking with babies, dogs. It was — they all got caught by surprise,” he said.
Pinellas County first responders carried out more than 500 water rescues.
Jon Yousef and Ann-Louise Abbot helped people take refuge in their second-floor apartment in St. Pete Beach.
“There (were) people walking in the middle of the night at its worst. This guy had this lady wrapped around him like a kid, and he kept falling in the water, so we kind of helped him up the stairs, and he kind of just (sought) refuge with us,” Yousef said. “And a couple of people were doing that across the street as well. Everyone was freaking out. Cats are crying out. The street lights stayed on, but they kept flickering.”
“There was another couple that came from the neighborhood over where the lady's head only stood out of the water, and she had her cat on top of her head,” Abbot added. “And I guess her husband was carrying all the stuff. So, we brought them in — they came up.”
In Sarasota and Manatee counties, Hurricane Helene wrought destruction along the barrier islands, including Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key.
Now that the water’s receded, the massive job of cleanup and recovery begins.
“I don't know if you've ever smelled the flood smell. It smells like low tide when it's like, just rotten ocean, plus just poop, just like rear-end, and then just like, it's a little tangy as well. And a little smoke from the neighbor's house that's burning down.”
That’s a St. Petersburg doctor who goes by @Dr.BeachGem10 on social media. She’s emptying out the contents of her own home while posting practical tips on hurricane recovery on her Instagram.
Efforts were still underway to reconnect power to thousands of customers across the greater Tampa Bay region. County leaders and volunteers are working to get people food and set up comfort stations where people can get out of the heat and take a shower or wash clothes.
As a row of washers and dryers rumbled in a mobile laundry station in a St. Petersburg church, Pam Lewin scrolled through pictures on her phone of flood damage at her home.
“You give thanks in all things because it could be a lot worse. At least we are alive, so thank God for those who are willing to reach out and assist others in times of need.”
As they cleanup — people are anxious about the future.
In Weeki Wachee Gardens, in Hernando County, Kim DeVary wondered whether her 80-year-old mother would have to leave the home she’d lived in for more than 50 years.
“It seems to be getting worse, you know what I mean? Like the storms are more ferocious and tough. My mom (and) my dad built additions to the house that they’re in and it’s their blood, sweat, and tears that are in there, you know? And it’s gone.”
About 30 miles south, in Pinellas County, Candace Redwine was throwing out items from her Tarpon Springs gift shop that was flooded with 3 feet of water.
Redwine said she didn’t have insurance and was going to be out of pocket about $10,000 to $15,000. Last year her store flooded during Hurricane Idalia.
“I'm sitting here thinking, you know, how many more years is this going to happen? How many more years am I going to have to deal with this? Yeah, it's tough.” Listen to the reporter roundtable on the audio player above to hear more about the damage from Hurricane Helene in different parts of Tampa Bay and how people are looking to recover.
If you need help after Hurricane Helene, or you want to help those impacted by the storm, there’s a list of resources and ways to get involved here.
And you can go here if you want to share your story about Hurricane Helene’s impact on you.
