Pinellas Hope Homeless Shelter sees extensive damages after Debby brushes by Bay Area

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Homeless shelters are cleaning up after feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Debby. The Catholic Charities Pinellas Hope Homeless Shelter in Clearwater saw extensive damage to their tents, platforms, sidewalks and roads.

Pinellas Hope Director Joe Pondolfino said the sheer amount of water they got is what's made things so debilitating, because they sit in one of the lowest lying areas. They serve a major need for the community, especially during hurricane season, so they said they're working quickly to continue serving their clients and be back in working order ready before the next storm hits.

"No matter how much we're prepared, we're going to get wet," Pondolfino said.

READ: Sunshine Skyway Bridge reopens to traffic after Debby forced closure

Tents were flooded with water and belongings were left behind as more than 200 homeless people struggled to stay dry overnight at the Pinellas Hope shelter.

"We're in a flood zone, so it really just put a lot of water all over the place, so that was what made it more difficult than some of the hurricanes in the past," Pondolfino said.

The complex is made up of more than 200 wooden platforms for tents. Overnight, more than 100 tents were destroyed and at their Tampa location, along with a few dozen wooden platforms.

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"This was flooded that any car could not make it through here, because the water line was so high. It would get into the exhaust pipe," Pondolfino said.

Pictures from Monday morning show as much as three feet of water covering the access road to their apartments, which sit near a creek bed. Now, a few feet of water are under all of the units. Also, their garden was still partially covered with water as of Monday afternoon.

"We have a gravel road that has created a lot of wash out, so we're going to have to replace a lot of that gravel," Pondolfino said. "We got a sidewalk in the back apartments that has just eroded right underneath it, so I don't know how much longer that's going to hold. That's really in danger of collapsing."

MORE: Flooding from Debby prompts evacuations in west Lakeland

So far, Pondolfino said they've already put in orders to replace the tents and the platforms and are working on the details for the structural and road repairs. As Pondolfino explained, all the work they do for the homeless community wouldn't be possible without generous donations. To donate, you can text PINELLASHOPE to 44834 or click here.

He said during times like these when they're hit with unexpected losses and a time when there's heated political discourse on the issue, support from the community matters most.

"Regarding the climate right now where we stand with homeless, I'm hopeful that this provides a little more focus on the services that are needed. Because, we always need more help to provide these services," Pondolfino said.

They estimate the damages to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

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