TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The concern for so many, is mold. After record-breaking storm surge inundated their homes, many South Tampa neighbors near West Shore Boulevard are gutting their houses.
Bill Yanger and his wife evacuated their south Tampa home off West Shore Boulevard on Thursday but watched their ring doorbell as flood waters rose.
Frenchy’s suffers ‘significant’ damage from Helene, closes nearly a dozen locations “When we saw the welcome mat start to float away from the front door, we knew we were done,” said Yanger.
Then he lost power. The Yangers didn’t return until Friday morning.
“Surprisingly it had all receded,” he said. “We walked inside. It was complete devastation.”
He lost 95% of everything. He’s trying to salvage what he can and he’s throwing out everything else. The Yangers are grateful to Radiant Church as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“They showed up with five or six people,” said Yanger. “Within a couple hours, they busted their rear ends and helped us so much. I can’t thank them enough.”
Along West Shore Boulevard and the neighborhoods to the west, there are piles of debris, mattresses, and construction waste as residents gut their homes.
Photos, videos show more damage from Hurricane Helene across Tampa Bay “There is not a house on the street that doesn’t have a pile that’s my height,” Yanger said.
Nearby, the Hosmans lifted furniture and put everything as high up as they could, but they soon realized the water was rushing in too quickly.
“We couldn’t open up any of the doors we tried to come out the garage,” said Kady Hosman. “The water pressure was just so heavy so we had to climb out a window in the backyard.”
Water was up to her hip.
“Our little Pomeranian, we put him on our shoulders and swam our way to Publix,” said Hosman.
That’s where friends picked them up and brought them to safety. Now their home is airing out after crews gutted out the drywall.
“One day at a time,” she said.
Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are opening six comfort stations to help residents affected by Hurricane Helene.
The sites will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice at the following locations:
- Marjorie Park Marina, 97 Columbia Dr., Tampa, FL 33606
- Desoto Park, 2617 Corrine St., Tampa, FL 33605
- Apollo Beach Park & Recreation Center, 664 Golf and Sea Blvd., Apollo Beach, FL 33572
- Ruskin Park & Recreation Center, 901 6th St. SE, Ruskin, FL 33570
- Sandy Perrone Park, 5120 Kelly Rd., Tampa, FL 33615
- Skyway Sports Complex & Park, 3901 George Rd., Tampa, FL 33634
Restrooms, showers, and laundry services will be available at unincorporated county comfort station locations. The other amenities will be available on Tuesday. In the meantime, residents can charge their devices at Hillsborough County libraries.
The American Red Cross will be serving lunch starting at approximately 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and dinner starting at approximately 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at all comfort station locations.
People without air conditioning also can take refuge in public places, including libraries or shopping malls.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Local News
Comments / 0