<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=05Oqsw_0vtRyrnf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=05Oqsw_0vtRyrnf00" width="1024" height="683" ><figcaption>A car rests in the sands washed ashore by the surge of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Treasure Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson) </figcaption></figure> Just days after Category Four Hurricane Helene devastated beach communities on Florida’s west coast with 10ft. storm surges and dozens of deaths, two local men pleaded with Pinellas County Commissioners during an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/HAenDhWk8Os" rel="nofollow"> emergency meeting </a> on Tuesday to keep the hard-hit islands and their famous beaches closed to the public until locals could recover. “There are people who have everything they own out on their front lawns drying out,” said Jack Tenney, a filmmaker based in Indian Rocks Beach, a barrier island community west of Tampa. “We’re still finding fu*king bodies on the beach and in the intercoastal today, and they want to let the general public out on the beach in a disaster zone.” While the meeting did not allow public comment, Tenney and his friend, Merrick Westlund, waited until it ended at 9:30 a.m. before pleading with county leaders to keep coastal communities closed to outsiders. Sheriff’s deputies escorted the two men out of the meeting. The islands and beaches reopened to the public at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene left communities from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/hurricane-helene-live-updates-rcna173767" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/hurricane-helene-live-updates-rcna173767"> Florida to Virginia in devastation. </a> Rescue and recovery efforts continue in major cities and rural communities cut off by landslides, destroyed bridges, and crumbling roads. <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/helene-north-carolina-tennessee-georgia-recovery-death-toll" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/helene-north-carolina-tennessee-georgia-recovery-death-toll"> Hundreds are feared </a> dead, and many more remain missing, while around a million people are still <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/09/30/g-s1-25406/helene-death-toll-damage" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.npr.org/2024/09/30/g-s1-25406/helene-death-toll-damage"> without power. </a> Much of the attention has focused on communities in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and <a href="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/09/in-augusta-price-gouging-curfews-as-gov-kemp-reacts-to-hurricane-helene-devastation.html" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.reckon.news/news/2024/09/in-augusta-price-gouging-curfews-as-gov-kemp-reacts-to-hurricane-helene-devastation.html"> Georgia </a> , but leaders in some Florida Gulf Coast counties have reopened communities and beaches, raising concerns that tourists and visitors will disrupt recovery efforts, consume scarce resources, and leave residents vulnerable to looting while they search for missing friends and family. “We don’t need sightseers,” said Pinellas County’s chief administrator, Barry Burton, during Tuesday’s emergency meeting. He noted that the hurricane caused the worst damage the county had seen in 100 years. “This is going to take time. This is weeks, not days, and it’s going to require the combined efforts of so many to help our residents regain their lives.” Cathy Perkins, director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, noted that life on the mainland is “almost back to normal,” but added, “For many of our coastal communities, and especially the barrier islands, it’s not life as usual.” <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/09/30/before-and-after-aerial-images-show-how-hurricane-helene-hurt-tampa-bay/" rel="nofollow"> Images from Pinellas County </a> beach communities show vast destruction. Towering sand dunes, some as tall as streetlights, have replaced once-pristine shores. Streets are lined with destroyed cars, boats, soaked furniture, debris, and personal belongings. County officials estimate $2 billion in residential damage, with 26,000 housing units affected—254 completely destroyed and over 15,000 severely damaged. The county has opened shelters, and many people are leaving during the day to salvage belongings from their homes. There is still shelter capacity for those with nowhere else to stay, and local real estate agents, hotels, and Airbnb are working to source emergency accommodations. The county is also providing food, water, and unemployment assistance to those in need. Power outages, which initially affected 320,000 people, have dropped to less than 10,000, though the electrical grid on the barrier islands will take weeks to rebuild. Reports of outsiders scavenging through garbage and looting have surfaced, as local businesses, residents, and officials urge people to stay away. “It’s just a nightmare, not to mention a safety issue,” said Maggie LeBlanc, owner of the Coconut Inn, in an interview with the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/10/02/hurricane-helene-relief-pinellas-beach-barrier-islands-open/" title="https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/10/02/hurricane-helene-relief-pinellas-beach-barrier-islands-open/" rel="nofollow"> Tampa Bay Times. </a> “We’ve already had people managing to get in and picking through garbage... We’ve had some looting. I feel like it’s unnecessary.” Before reopening the beaches, Burton assured there would be a heavy police presence on the islands to assist recovery efforts and deter looting. “The sheriff has assured that if you have bad intentions, you’re going to have a bad outcome,” he said. Tenney expressed his frustration with the decision to reopen. “So many people have everything they own on their front lawns and are now forced to either put everything back in their houses, take everything somewhere else, or guard their stuff from thieves driving around looking to make a quick dollar during a tragedy,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlpHYKJSVX/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAlpHYKJSVX/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1"> he posted on Instagram. </a> Beaches to Avoid: St. Pete Beach Entire neighborhoods were swamped by storm surges that reached heights of up to eight feet, leaving many residents trapped or displaced. Some reports said that flooded homes where the water reached <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/09/27/hurricane-helene-st-petersburg-flooding-shore-acres/" title="https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/09/27/hurricane-helene-st-petersburg-flooding-shore-acres/" rel="nofollow"> chest-high levels </a> , causing widespread structural damage and leading to emergency evacuations and rescues. The Clearwater Police Department will conduct extra patrols to ensure no one loots while the fire department checks the integrity of structures. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said the kindest thing you can do right now is not to visit the city. “Unless you really have to be out there, even though it’s open to the public, please stay away for at least a few more days,” he told <a href rel target="_blank" title> local news reporters. </a> Keaton Beach This area was among the hardest hit, with 90% of beach homes destroyed, according to <a href="https://www.wctv.tv/2024/09/27/all-gone-taylor-county-leaders-estimate-90-keaton-beach-homes-destroyed/" title="https://www.wctv.tv/2024/09/27/all-gone-taylor-county-leaders-estimate-90-keaton-beach-homes-destroyed/" rel="nofollow"> Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett, who told local reporters it was “all gone” when asked about the extent of the damage. </a> The nearby town of Perry sustained moderate damage, with some busted roofs and discarded street lights, but most buildings are still standing. Some Keaton Beach residents were <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/hurricane/2024/09/28/keaton-beach-damage-photos-hurricane-helene-florida-video/75426982007/" rel="nofollow"> still recovering </a> from Hurricane Idalia, which hit the region in Aug. 2023. Clearwater Beach Storm surges reached 41.5 inches in some areas. Homes and businesses suffered extensive damage, including <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2024/10/01/amid-hurricane-helenes-destruction-clearwater-beach-works-rebuild/" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2024/10/01/amid-hurricane-helenes-destruction-clearwater-beach-works-rebuild/" target="_blank"> seven fires </a> due to high water levels. An <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2024/10/01/amid-hurricane-helenes-destruction-clearwater-beach-works-rebuild/" rel="nofollow"> estimated 80% </a> of residences and ground-level businesses experienced water damage. Recovery is ongoing, with residents clearing debris and repairing infrastructure. The beach also reopened at 4pm Tuesday, but only for deliveries, non-profits and aid workers. “People should not come to look around for morbid curiosity to see what our beaches look like,” <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/tag/us/fl/pinellas/clearwater" rel="nofollow"> Clearwater City Manager Jennifer Poirrier said to the media. </a> “To do so would be at the detriment to our residents and our business owners who have already lost so much.” Treasure Island <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/treasure-island-begins-long-cleanup-process-after-helene-my-heart-breaks" rel="nofollow"> Treasure Island </a> experienced severe damage with four confirmed deaths. The storm surge brought at least four feet of water into homes and businesses, leaving streets coated in mud, dirt, and debris. Cars and boats were displaced, and the area remains difficult to navigate, especially around Sunset Beach, which is closed to vehicular traffic. “It’s just one narrow roadway with sand on each side. We can only get one vehicle up and down that,” Treasure Island Public Information Officer Jason Beisel <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/treasure-island-begins-long-cleanup-process-after-helene-my-heart-breaks" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.fox13news.com/news/treasure-island-begins-long-cleanup-process-after-helene-my-heart-breaks"> told reporters. </a></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

'We're still finding bodies': Florida beach communities ask public to avoid Helene ravaged areas

Even as residents in some coastal Florida communities are only beginning to recover after Hurricane Helene, political leaders are reopening islands and beaches to the public.