Several Pinellas mobile home parks destroyed in Hurricane Helene storm surge

Mobile home residents' future uncertain after Helene

Kylie Jones reports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Several mobile home parks around Pinellas County were destroyed by flooding from the storm surge during Hurricane Helene.

A lot of residents lost everything inside their homes, and some aren’t sure if they’ll be able to rebuild or stay in their mobile home parks. Pinewood Village Mobile Home Park in St. Petersburg was one of the mobile home parks that flooded.

"Every day, I go in and look and, you know, I think, and I'm going, ‘Wow, nine years and can't even live here,’" Steve Derrickson said.

READ: Indian Rocks Beach surfer saves a dozen trapped in flooded homes during Hurricane Helene: ‘He saved us’

Derrickson said he’s hunkered down during every other storm in the past, but he evacuated during Hurricane Helene. He came back to check on his home on Saturday and was still met with floodwaters.

"I waded from the front, because I needed to see the damage, and it was knee-deep coming all the way to here, still on Saturday," Derrickson said.

He said the water eventually went down inside his home, but there was major damage left behind.

"But, as soon as I started walking in my living room, it was just, I was sinking," Derrickson said.

PREVIOUS: Pinellas County lifts boil water notice for southern barrier islands as cleanup efforts continue

Twin City Mobile Home Community in St. Petersburg also saw significant flooding. Jim Lawson, who lives in Twin City, said that he and his dogs had to swim through floodwaters to get out of their home.

"I lost all of my family pictures with my late wife and my late son," Lawson said.

Almost everything Lawson owned, including his motorcycle, was destroyed. He is now sleeping in a tent outside his home.

"I was almost, near complete on reconstruction from Idalia," Lawson said. "And, when Idalia came, I was near complete on the reconstruction of Ian."

MORE: St. Pete community remembers 89-year-old man killed during Hurricane Helene: 'I loved everything about him'

Pinellas County said this is a privately owned mobile home park, so damage and rebuilding are between the landlord and the tenant. Officals said if unit owners in unincorporated Pinellas County are concerned about damage to their units, they can contact the county to have an inspection done for substantial damage.

On Thursday, staff with Lakeshore management at Twin City had no comment to FOX 13’s questions.

"Even if I can stay, I don't know if I have it in me," Lawson said.

In other communities like Pinewood Village, Derrickson said he’s trying to figure out what the future holds.

"This is a resident-owned park, so we have our own rules, but I'm sure they want people to rebuild," Derrickson said. "Right now, I'm still numb."

Derrickson said he had a FEMA inspection on Wednesday, but he said he has some major decisions to make about how and whether to rebuild.

"I'm just numb," Derrickson said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

Pinellas County officials said they have housing resources for renting, buying and affordable housing on the county’s website.

The county said people who would like their home inspected for substantial damage can call the Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services at (727) 464-3888.

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: