Sunset Beach sees more Hurricane Idalia damage than other Treasure Island areas

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - Over the past week in Sunset Beach, crews say they’ve filled 15 dump trucks of sand, totaling more than 200 tons from the streets and parking lots.

According to Treasure Island’s spokesperson Jason Beisel Sunset Beach saw the most damage from Hurricane Idalia out of any other part of Treasure Island.

"It is the lowest lying area in Treasure Island, and it’s just a very small area with homes basically on top of each other," Beisel said.

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"We’re a small city. We have a small crew, and we’re just working as fast as we can to try to get everything back to normal," he said.

Beisel said they’re asking people to stay away from Sunset Beach while crews continue to clean up for at least the next week or two.

"The parking lots are still closed because, as you can see, there's still sand in the parking lots. And these parking lots are kind of delicate because they're made of a permeable surface, so therefore they're made for drainage, and the more sand that gets packed down in there, people are driving on them, the more damage it does," Beisel said.

Sunset Pavilion will be closed for about two more weeks, he said, while crews clear sand and debris. Beisel said the city should’ve reached out to those who have events planned for the Pavilion, but if not, call the Parks and Rec Department. 

READ: Shore Acres neighborhood accounts for 82% of St. Pete's flood damages from Hurricane Idalia

"We’re like the barrier to the main island. So, all that storm surge, all that wind hits this area first and causes the most damage. So, we are going to take a little bit longer to recover than most other big cities across the county or even in Hillsborough County and things like that. So, we just ask that you give us time because we do not have as big as city staff as many major municipalities around the county. We have a set certain size of staff that can focus on this area, but they also got their other day to day jobs that they have to do," Beisel said.

According to Beisel, this is the most damage Sunset Beach has seen from a storm in a few years.

"This is one of the prices you pay for living on a barrier island and being part of a barrier island. It’s beautiful. It’s paradise. We love it here, but when storms come, it does a lot more damage on the barrier island," he said.

"They need to take their time getting this cleaned, and they got to take the sand off site to Clearwater to a dump there because if you cannot put contaminated sand back on the beach. So, it's just a long process," Beisel said.

They hope to have the parking lots in Sunset Beach reopened by next weekend. In the meantime, Beisel said other parts of Treasure Island are open.

MORE: Flamingo on road to recovery after being found off St. Pete Beach after Hurricane Idalia

"We just ask that people be patient. We’re working as hard as we can, and we know everybody wants to get out here and enjoy the beach and get back out here, but we got a lot of cleaning up still left to do, and we’re going to get it done," he said.

Treasure Island’s website has information if you need help cleaning up, information about how to volunteer, how to donate and how to get FEMA aid.