Pinellas County beach communities rebuild after recent hurricanes

Spring breakers return as beaches rebuild

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports on how important this year's spring break season is to businesses on Pass-a-Grille Beach, which suffered devastating effects from hurricanes last year.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - Parking lots are packed and umbrellas line the beaches as far as the eye can see, just like every spring break.

New this year, though, are the scars from the storms still evident across Pinellas County’s beach communities as some businesses continue to rebuild.

What they're saying:

"It was devastating," Mike Vassalotti, from New Jersey, said. "I mean, we stayed up in St. Pete Beach and also more recently the last five or six years in Treasure Island, and you saw the pictures. I mean, we knew we knew within a couple of days people were flying drones showing all the damage. It was a mess a real mess," he said.

Vassalotti has vacationed here for almost a decade. He and his friends said they’re sad to see some of their favorite spots, like Willy’s Burgers and Booze in St. Pete Beach, are still closed.

"Treasure Island, it was pretty evident there was a lot of damage although frankly, I’m surprised things have cleaned up as well as they have," he said.

Pinellas County beach communities rebuild after recent hurricanes

They’ve stayed in Treasure Island for the past few years in a rental, but had to find a new place this year due to the storm damage. Vassalotti said they still decided to visit because they love it here.

"Look up at the sky. It’s warm. It’s still pretty cold up north," he said.

Wednesday, they supported local shops in Pass-a-Grille.

"It’s a pretty resilient place," he said about all of the beach communities. "We’re trying to support as well as we can, you know, for what these folks went through every little bit helps," Vassalotti said.

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That’s music to Amy Loughery’s ears. Hurricane Helene flooded her shops on 8th Avenue in Pass-a-Grille flooded with four feet of water. The seven retail shops in Pass-a-Grille, all family owned and operated, have reopened, including Loughery’s.

She said spring break business is crucial every year, but even more so this year.

"We want people to know we're here, we're open," Loughery said. "I think if you're on vacation, there are plenty of shopping, plenty of restaurants. You'll have a great time and I think our beaches themselves look better than ever. So, we're lacking some hotel rooms. I think, though, you know, they’ll come on board this summer. But it's important for small business to get the support of the community," she said.

Pinellas County beach communities rebuild after recent hurricanes

The Seahorse Restaurant, a staple in Pass-a-Grille since 1938, is one of the businesses still rebuilding. The owners say the storms flooded the restaurant with six feet of water in the front of the restaurant, and four feet in the kitchen. They had to re-do the entire restaurant.

What's next:

The owners say they hope to reopen by August or September, but don’t have a date yet.

Local leaders across the beaches say some parking lots may still be closed due to storm damage and ask for everyone’s patience.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy.

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