Homes in Shore Acres destroyed by Hurricane Helene, flood-prone neighborhood getting first look at damage

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  September 27, 2024 12:32pm EDT
FOX 13 News
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Shore Acres floods again during Hurricane Helene

Several Shore Acres residents say the flooding from Hurricane Helene is the worst they’ve ever seen even though they are used to high water in the area.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Shore Acres took one of the hardest hits from Hurricane Helene, preparing homes ahead of the storm wasn't enough to protect many in the St. Petersburg neighborhood.

Damage in Shore Acres

Record-breaking storm surge caused extensive flooding and damage that residents in Shore Acres have likely never seen before. According to FOX 13 News Meteorologists, the city experienced more than 6ft of storm surge.

Some homeowners said water came up to their doorknobs and a couple of house fires were also reported in the Tanglewood area.

There were over 100 miles of road impacted by flooding, according to St. Pete officials. 

"We were very fortunate the water came up to the garage. We got a little bit scared because we’ve always been told this street never floods. And you can see here where the water got to the garage," shared a resident who spoke to FOX 13's Craig Patrick. "The cars across the street were covered with water."

READ: Water rescues underway as Citrus County gets glimpse at Hurricane Helene damage

Why does it flood in Shore Acres?

This is the neighborhood's fourth flooding event in four years. 

After Tropical Storm Debby brought unexpected flooding across Tampa Bay, neighbors wanted to be even more prepared for hurricane season. During a Shore Acres Civic Association hurricane preparedness meeting in August, residents said some of the issues related to flooding could be widely prevented, like traffic driving along flooded roadways in the neighborhood.

"A lot of people don’t know how to navigate through the streets, driving through the streets," Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf said. "They cause what we call a wake, that pushes water into homes that wouldn’t otherwise flood."

Shore Acres was built like a bowl. The middle of the neighborhood dips, so houses in the middle are more likely to flood compared to houses along the edges.

While residents know the community is flood-prone, Helene inundated the neighborhood with much more water than homeowners anticipated.

READ: Hundreds of Bay Area residents rescued from record storm surge from Hurricane Helene

How will the community recover?

Six Fire Rescue boats were deployed to go to Shore Acres, Snell Isle and Venetian Isles for search and rescue, according to the city of St. Pete.

Water has started to recede, but damage will take weeks and months to repair. Road conditions around Pinellas County are still "extremely dangerous" on Friday, according to officials.

Pinellas County has activated the Hurricane Helene Cleanup Hotline for people who need help cleaning up damage. The number is (844) 965-1386.

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