Pinellas residents on barrier islands come back to 'war zone' after Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene aftermath: Pinellas barrier islands

Kailey Tracy reports

SUNSET BEACH, Fla. - Sunset Beach residents said they came back to a war zone after Hurricane Helene.

"It’s like an apocalypse," Kandis Fernandez said. "People can’t comprehend how devastating this is."

Four people died in Treasure Island.

Treasure Island Fire Chief Trip Barrs said every single structure in the area had two to six feet of water inside. Some of the sand dunes, he said, are 15 feet tall. Across Pinellas County so far, 21,354 properties have been assessed.

Out of those, 239 are destroyed, county officials said, 12,659 have major damage, 5,265 have minor damage and 3,191 were affected.

"It was catastrophic," he said.

Officials said if the sand is clean, residents and business owners can put it back on the beach. If it has stains, smells bad or includes debris, don’t put it back on the beach or back on Gulf Boulevard. Call the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for guidance at 840-245-2094 or email CCCL@FloridaDEP.gov.

READ: Oldsmar residents picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene

Pinellas County officials said uncontaminated sand is being moved to holding areas where it will be filtered to remove any debris before it's returned to the beaches.

Barrs said first responders themselves had to evacuate along with their equipment around 5 p.m. on Thursday, because it was too dangerous. They weren’t able to get back to the island until about 4:30 a.m. on Friday.

During that time, he said, there were five structure fires they weren’t able to get to and countless calls.

"It was hard. We’ve run 500 fire and EMS calls since the storm. Our normal call volume is 2,200 a year. So, we've got a lot of outside resources helping out, but it's just taking a toll. We're on 24 on, 24 off for the foreseeable future," Barrs said about the shifts his crews are working. "The fire and police station were destroyed. We're working out of a temporary facility until we can go get that solved," he said.

MORE: Homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene advised to file insurance claims ASAP

Barrs said several crews from across the area have come to help.

"It's devastating. Our folks, you know, we're very committed to where we work and to drive by and see these icons like Caddy’s and Crabby’s just decimated and knowing that they're probably not going to be able to be rebuilt, it hurts. It's hard. You know, we're emotionally invested in this and we feel for the citizens and the folks who have made this their home," Barrs said.

"This whole beach community, we've lived here for 10 years, and they're like family here," Sunset Beach resident Donna Hebert said. "So, I think the hardest part of yesterday was saying goodbye to my neighbors."

Hebert’s home had six feet of water inside, and she said it’s a miracle they were able to save anything.

READ: How you can help Hurricane Helene's devastated communities

"Kathleen [her sister], and I lost my mom early January, and my father was in the Air Force, and he would mail her love letters, and I was so afraid that they weren't going to make it, and amazingly they did," Hebert said.

"They were in my closet, and they had like two inches to spare. So, I felt very lucky about that," Hebert said.

They still don’t have safe drinking water or power in parts of the barrier islands, including Treasure Island. Duke Energy said it has to rebuild part of the electric grid. Crews are working as fast as they can to fix both.

The fire chief said crews from across the area brought in a tanker strike team to help with emergencies.

MORE: Tampa's South West Shore neighborhood sees record storm surge from Helene

Residents said their once paradise is now an apocalypse.

"You're like hysterical one moment and laughing, and because I don't know why, maybe lack of sleep and the next minute you're sobbing. It's like grief. It's like a death," Hebert said.

"We’re coming into a war zone and the sand dunes were literally, you know, eight to 10 ft on both sides. And all we're doing is walking in and seeing the devastation," Fernandez said. "It’s somber. I mean, we're just in devastation. You're in shock. It's shock."

Treasure Island set up comfort stations in Treasure Island Community Park that offer free showers, bathrooms, cooling centers, spots to charge devices and more for residents. The National Guard also set up nearby, handing out water and tarps on Monday.

READ: 'I'm completely overwhelmed:' Manatee, Sarasota counties trying to move forward post Hurricane Helene

They’re planning to set up three other comfort stations across Treasure Island, but Barrs said they have to clear debris to make space for them.

Barrs said since the storm, they’ve had seven electrical fires. Some were caused by golf carts. They coordinated with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to identify owners of electric vehicles and where they live to make sure the electric vehicles weren’t still near areas affected by storm surge.

The city is starting to organize volunteer missions to help with the cleanup process. You can find volunteer and donation opportunities on the city’s website.

The barrier islands will reopen to the public Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said it has overnight patrols with at least 60 deputies on the gulf beaches from dusk to dawn seven days a week. Deputies will be in undercover vehicles as well as marked cruisers with lights on all night.

"Looters or anyone who comes to the barrier islands with bad intentions should know that we are out here, and we are going to put you in jail. This is no time or place to take advantage of people. It will not be tolerated," Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

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