Residents in St. Pete community devastated after Hurricane Milton: 'We're just in survival mode'

Senior community residents left homeless after storms

Kailey Tracy reports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The clock still ticks in Marilyn Alberts’ bedroom, but time has stood still for her and her neighbors in Pinewood Village in St. Petersburg for the past three weeks.

"Milton was like the icing on the cake," resident Irene Hernandez said. "Whatever Helene did not take care of, Milton did its number."

Hernandez and her husband escaped through a window during Hurricane Helene. Residents in the 55+ community said Helene flooded some homes with four feet of water, while Milton ripped others’ walls and roofs off.

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"There was hardly any escaping, and if you didn’t get one, it seemed like you got the other," Dan Viergutz, a resident of 14 years, said.

Some have power back, they said, while others don’t. Internet hasn’t been restored. Most of their cars were also damaged in the storms.

"So many people that have been here for over 30 years have lost everything," Peggy Neal, a resident of 10 years, said tearing up. "Some of them had to leave. There are no hotels available for us, and it has just been very devastating."

They said with nowhere to go, most are still living in damaged homes. Others are camping out in the community’s clubhouse and sleeping on lounge chairs from the pool.

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"It's a better condition to stay at than somewhere where you don't have a floor or you might go to sleep on the floor and wake up down there, because the floor has, you know, been released. Some people have come here to sleep like homeless," Hernandez said. "We’re just in survival mode."

Some are also living with neighbors whose homes weren’t as damaged as others. They said they know a lot of people are hurting right now across the Tampa Bay area, but they feel like they’re at a standstill.

"We're all older people, and it's very difficult for us to do the things that we have to do around the house, and there’s nobody here to help, and now we’ve got garbage out in front," resident Terry Hood said.

They said for now, they’ve turned to each other, and said they haven’t heard much from their management company. Neal was able to rent a car and is driving people to appointments and to get food.

READ: South St. Pete neighbors return home, many still flooded around Lake Maggiore

"We're just kind of running by the seat of our pants. It was said by several people today, people helping people, neighbor helping neighbor," Viergutz said. "We're going to have a get together today, just a potluck, the few people that are around, if they want to come up, eat a hot dog. I'm making my famous baked beans. We got some mac and cheese. So, you know, we just kind of come together and try to do something this evening just makes us all feel a little better."

"Still, we need help. I mean, all the love in the world cannot compare to the need that we have," Hernandez said.

The community’s management company said Wednesday that two large dumpsters will be delivered on Thursday, and a vendor will help clean up the complex by the end of the week.

Management also said they’ve been on the property since Saturday, and met with residents Wednesday afternoon. The residents said they’re grateful to the Red Cross and to the Tampa Bay Jeep Club for the donations they’ve delivered.

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