Families return to Longboat Key to find homes and memories washed away by Helene

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (WFLA) — Residents returned to Longboat Key on Sunday to see the damage Hurricane Helene caused to their homes.

Gulf Side Drive is unrecognizable after the gulf breached the island during Hurricane Helene on Thursday. Streets are lined with destroyed belongings, and families are just now starting to return to what’s left of their homes.

“We just moved here in March, and we took everything from the house and put it in the storage underneath the house, that got ruined,’ resident Chris Leonard said. So, we are going through it right now trying to clean up the mess.”

For many, it’s a painful process, as they sift through scattered items, a washing machine, a child’s chair, and family photos, the emotional toll is heavy.

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“Everybody says it is just stuff so it is just stuff, I can easily throw away pillows and blankets, but when it is sentimental stuff, I get sad,” Denise Leonard said.

Those who have weathered storms for years, said they have never experienced one like this. The usual safeguards, this time, weren’t enough.

“The sandbags were useless, they didn’t accomplish what we hoped they would,” resident Edward Kelmenson said.

What was supposed to be a safe place for valuables turned into a parking lot full of soaked possessions.

“There is a church at the end of our block, and everybody moves their cars up there because it is higher ground and it is usually safe, but we went and checked up on them, and they are totaled out,” resident Denise Leonard said.

As residents begin the slow process of rebuilding, they’re reminded that while homes can be replaced, some things like memories, are just lost forever.

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