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Coastal Bay Area residents worry they could lose homes if power isn't restored soon

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Published  October 2, 2024 5:19am EDT
Hurricane Helene
FOX 13 News

Residents without power worried for their homes

For most in Tampa Bay, power has been restored after Hurricane Helene, but in some coastal neighborhoods it is still off and residents are begging companies to turn it back on to save their homes from mold.

GULF HARBORS, Fla. - For most in the Tampa Bay area, power has been restored after Hurricane Helene, but in some coastal neighborhoods it is still off and residents are begging companies to turn it back on to save their homes from mold.

"Every day that goes by is a day that the mold situation gets worse, and every day that goes by provides additional damage to our house," said one Gulf Harbors resident to a Duke Energy representative on the phone.

Richard Blatt had been on the phone with them for hours, trying to restore power to his home after nearly five days: "Do whatever it takes to get us our power restored tonight."

Early Tuesday, he was told by 6 p.m., he would have electricity. But by 6 p.m., nothing – and he was told it could be a few more days for his area.

Duke Energy says they’re working to get everyone restored as quickly as possible, but sometimes there are safety risks.

"We had a Category 4 hurricane that caused significant damage not only to a lot of homes and businesses, but also to our equipment and things like that. I'll tell you that there are a significant amount of customers who are not able to receive power, and this could be because their homes were flooded. They've had significant damage to their meter box or things like that," said Audrey Stasko with Duke Energy. "Safety is our first concern before, during and after every storm, and obviously, water and electricity do not mix."

READ: Bay Area auto shops, rental car companies inundated following Hurricane Helene

She says a private electrician needs to come out to inspect the property and clear it for power. We spoke to one electrician about fire hazards.

"The salt water starts to eat away and corrode the outlets so anything that was touched needs to be replaced," said Cliff Barnes, with Barracuda Electric. "One of the things we need to make sure of is that the main breaker is off, so that if they energize your house, you aren’t starting an electrical fire ... There’s been at least four or five house fires out here."

Richard Blatt had his power turned on Tuesday night, but many in his area are still waiting.

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