Gulfport residents board up homes, tie down boats ahead of Helene

GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — Pinellas County leaders said even if Tropical Storm Helene passes west of the county, it could bring a life-threatening hurricane, storm surge flooding, and flash floods.

The county is under a storm surge warning and a flood watch.

Residents in Gulfport said they are thinking about Hurricane Debby and how the heavy rain in the area from a just a few weeks ago flooded streets. Tuesday they lined sandbags in front of their garages, secured their boats, and some even boarded up windows.

“I probably over prepared this time,” Juli Jacoby said.

She put storm shutters over the windows of her Gulfport home.

Residents in her area can see storm surge from Tropical Storm Helene. Officials said it’s expected to strengthen into a major hurricane.

“During hurricane season we put two lines on each piling onto the cleats. So there’s 12 lines on this boat,” said one boater, while tying her boat down.

Some people went to the Gulf Port Marina to take their boats out the water. During Hurricane Debbie, Gulfport Police said a man was waiting out the storm on his boat when it sunk. A body was found on the boat after that man was reported missing .

“It’s on everyone’s mind. That shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t happen again,” said Jeff Jensen, a Gulfport resident.

Some people also said they are thinking about the previous storms that flooded streets.

According to the Pinellas County Storm Surge Risk Viewer, the are around the Gulfport Marina can see anywhere from six to nine feet of above ground flooding.

“We’ve had some issues. The last rain went up so high that when water let out and came down it took off part of our gunnel on the piling because it was so close,” the boater said.

They are preparing where they can, and said they hope this storm doesn’t leave too much of a mark.

Pinellas County leaders said the forecast calls for higher storm surge than the Tampa Bay area has experienced in recent history, due to the storms wide wind field.

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