Sponge Docks businesses prepare for Hurricane Helene

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (WFLA) — Businesses in Tarpon Springs have been through this before, facing the risk of life-threatening storm surge. Employee’s are boarding up, and some residents are ready to head out.

Employee’s at Katherine’s Linen and Gifts on Dodecanese Boulevard were trying to get creative with sealing the doors to the business.

“Trying to stop the storm surge from coming in, whatever we can do,” an employee said.

Hurricane Helene is expected to push several feet of water into Zone A, where the Sponge Docks and other parts of Tarpon Springs are located.

Employees were asked if the store was ever flooded before.

“Oh, every time,” the employee said. “No matter what we do. Just going to try something different. Maybe this works. Double layer, triple layer flex seal and see what this does.”

Around the corner from the store, residents used cones to fill up sandbags.

“Just hoping that we don’t all flood out,” Glenn Warren said. “Storm surge is what we’re really worried about.”

Warren said it’s a big storm, so they’ll be keeping an eye on the weather.

Henry Crockett lives a bit more inland from the docks. He’s a bit more lax about the storm.

“They’re having a party, they’re going home,” Crockett said. “No different than any other storm.”

He doesn’t have plans to evacuate.

A woman living a few minutes north of him said she and her pets are ready to leave if they have to. She boarded up her home Wednesday.

“Better safe than sorry for sure,” Alex Silansky said. “I know that a lot of folks here on this block and the mobile home places across the street are really concerned just with what that storm surge is going to look like. All of this is out of all our control so all we can do it just ride the wave.”

Pinellas County government officials urged residents to not walk or drive through floodwaters.

5 to 8 feet of storm surge is expected.

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