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Treasure Island beaches back open, Sunset Beach remains closed after Hurricane Milton

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Published  October 23, 2024 9:13pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Treasure Island reopens beaches after Hurricane Milton

Kailey Tracy reports

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - Treasure Island joined a growing list of beaches in the Tampa Bay area that are now reopen. Tuesday afternoon, city officials announced its beaches were back open, except Sunset Beach.

"God, thank you for the water and the sand that is still normal even if there’s so much devastation on the island," Erika Robinson, who lives in Treasure Island, said.

Her husband, Charles Theodore Robinson Jr., said it almost felt surreal to be back on the beach.

READ: Clearwater apartment complex residents' forced to leave after extensive damage from Hurricane Milton

"When you see all the destruction of everyone around you, and you feel the emotions, you feel the devastation of it, and you come out to the beach … nobody comes to the beach to be sad," Charles Robinson Jr. said. "You come to the beach to be happy."

"You feel the anguish of both," he said. "You feel what it feels like for all the people that are here, and we being a part of it, and then having a beach that's just a beautiful, beautiful beach."

They moved to Treasure Island right before Hurricane Helene, and said they’re happy to have a piece of their paradise back.

"If some of the residents who need to get away from all the debris and stuff around their neighborhood to come out here and be able to walk on the beach, enjoy a sunset, maybe try to get some sense of normalcy back in their life … that's one of the main reasons we open the beaches," Jason Beisel, Treasure Island’s spokesperson, said.

MORE: Water restrictions end for Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties after Hurricane Milton

City crews will continue to clear debris and rake the beaches. Beisel said they recommend that you wear shoes for your safety, because there could be hazards on the beach and under the sand itself.

"It's not going to be, right now, the same Treasure Island as you see on a normal November day, October day. You're still going to see some debris piles. You're going to see some trash. You're still going to see a lot of large trucks, a lot of contractors out working. So, there's going to be a lot going on here that may interrupt your peaceful beach process, but you can enjoy it the best way you can," Beisel said.

Officials also ask people to stay off the Beach Trail while crews make repairs. Some parking lots and all the bathrooms are closed for repairs too.

"Make sure you're watching where you're stepping, because we don't want you twisting your ankle and everything. It just not going to be the typical beach experience you're used to for a while," Beisel said. "You're going to have to be careful and just be patient with everybody because there's a lot of people in this community still suffering, and so they don't mind visitors coming, but just don't get in their way and just let them continue their recovery process."

Beisel said at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Treasure Island leaders voted to pay to remove debris from condos and commercial properties. 

READ: Hurricane Milton's mark on Tropicana Field in Florida highlights need for stronger stadiums

"We’re showing that we’re getting back to normal quicker than we thought we would," Beisel said. 

Brian Lowack, the president and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater, said reopening restaurants and hotels also gives the community a glimmer of hope. They started the campaign "Still Shining" to highlight businesses that are reopening. They’re posting them as they reopen on social media and on Visit St. Pete Clearwater’s website.

"The message is that, despite what you may see on TikTok videos or national media, you know, to really be able to show and highlight that the destination is truly still shining and open to welcoming visitors," Lowack said.

Lowack said a survey of 300 businesses across Pinellas showed close to 80% have reopened. 

"Not only does it send a message to potential visitors that we're open for business, but it also provides hope for the community. It gives them a sense of normalcy," Lowack said. "The best way and the quickest way that we can help our local community is help our number one industry, tourism, and it's our number one employer. If those restaurants, if customers aren't coming through the door, those folks who rely on those restaurants and accommodations and hotels being open, they don't have a paycheck. And the faster they can get a paycheck, the faster they can recover and get back to normal."

One of those businesses is Sloppy Joe’s on the Beach in Treasure Island. Roger Jones, the food and beverage director for the Bilmar Beach Resort and Sloppy Joe’s restaurant, said they’ve been able to bring back 25% of their staff, so far. They hope by the end of October they’ll have 50% back and by the first of the year, 100%.

MORE: Shore Acres residents blast St. Pete debris removal efforts: ‘This is ridiculous’

"It's amazing, to be honest with you, just being able to get our associates back to work," Jones said. "They are looking for normalcy. They want to get back to work. They want to get back into their routine. So, being able to provide jobs and get our associates and family back to work is a big thing."

Sloppy Joe’s reopened about two days after Milton.

"The community, you know, they're looking for the same thing. They want to go out and just have a beer on the beach and just relax and go to a restaurant and just feel like everything's ok and everything's going to be ok," Jones said.

Of the 166 rooms in the Bilmar, 27 have to be gutted. The lobby and all commercial space in the hotel do too. FEMA representatives and some hotel and restaurant employees are also staying there. 

According to Lowack, tourism hasn’t taken too much of a hit from the storms. He said this time of year it’s usually less crowded. He said because of all the crews coming into the area to help respond and recover from the storms, hotel occupancy is up almost 30% compared to this time last year. That’s also, though, he said, because displaced residents are in hotels.

"To see not only not a decline in bed tax collections, but such a stark year-over-year increase is good, because ultimately, what those numbers translate to is rebuilding the beach and investing in projects that our residents get to benefit from each and every day. So, we're happy about that," Lowack said.

There’s no timeline for Sunset Beach’s reopening. Officials said contractors are working 24/7 to clear the sand from streets, and rebuild the dunes, but there’s also a lot of sand in homes that has to be removed. 

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