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Amid damage to hotels and restaurants, employees hope to return to work after Hurricane Helene

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Published  October 2, 2024 4:47pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Beach hotels face long recovery after Helene

Lloyd Sowers reports

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - The signs on older beach hotels remind us of honeymoons, family vacations, and beach getaways going back decades. But damage to the lower floors of hotels and other businesses built before modern elevation requirements is sad, especially if it’s where you make your living.

"We’ve got people that need to work," said Kenny Anderson, a manager at Sloppy Joe’s on Treasure Island. "It’s horrible. I’ve lived here my whole life and never seen anything like this."

Sloppy Joes adjoins the Bilmar Beach Resort opened in 1961. The hotel suffered damage to first floor rooms. Furniture was stacked outside. Anderson hopes to reopen Sloppy Joe’s on Thursday.

"What’s great about this community is the locals come together," he said.

Next door, the Thunderbird Beach Resort that opened in 1957 suffered similar damage. Crews were working to get water and sand out of first floor rooms that were emptied of furniture and mattresses.

Damage to the Sunburst Inn on Indian Shores may be unrepairable. It opened in 1949, and recently got a stylish makeover on the HGTV program 100 Day Dream Home.

READ: Governor DeSantis visits Madeira Beach, city still recovering from Hurricane Helene damage

Contractor Joe D’Agostino watched them do it.

"There was a lot of people and a lot of crews, and they did fantastic work," he shared.

But their work and the hotel’s seven decades on the beach was crushed by Helene. Neighbors say it might be replaced by condos.

"It would be good for less traffic, but it’s a shame because this is kind of history on this part of the beach," explained D’Agostino.

History was washed away by an historic storm that has people on the beaches working together to rebuild and reopen.

"We really help each other out a lot," shared Anderson before returning to work, so the restaurant can be reopened and workers on the beach can earn a paycheck.

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