As of last Monday, at least 11 people in the Bay area are dead as a result of the storm. Four were from Treasure Island, according to WTVT where at least four feet of storm surge pushed the ocean and beach into homes and onto streets.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri put the death toll in his county alone at nine people; each death occurred in mandatory evacuation zone A, with most drowning after water entered the deceased’s dwelling.
Pinellas’ residential damage assessment dashboard listed 237 homes as destroyed as of Sunday night, with nearly 12,000 sustaining major damage. Officials in Hillsborough said at least 1,200 homes were damaged as of Sunday night. Tampa officials said nearly 2,000 private properties sustained major damage, with damages estimated at over half-a-billion dollars.
Those numbers are all expected to rise. The figures are also in stark contrast to the death tolls in North and South Carolina where CNN said at least 67 have died as rivers and floodwaters, in some cases, wiped out entire towns. In all, as of last Monday, nearly 100 people have been killed by the storm whose path of destruction stretched more than 500 miles.
In the hours after the storm, Tampa Bay members of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief (MADR), a group that has helped people in several disaster scenarios throughout the year, were working to bring supplies to those hit hardest by the hurricane. Last Saturday in Tampa, they collected items like tarps, contractor bags, disinfectant, first aid and personal protective equipment. A day later, many of those supplies were being transported to St. Petersburg for distribution, and the group is connecting folks to help. More information is at @mutualaiddisasterrelief on Instagram.
Over the weekend in Hudson, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay photographer Dave Decker saw Reconstructing Hope cooking for residents.
Government is also working to help residents move through the aftermath.
In Hillsborough and Pinellas, residents are being asked to report damages online. In 17 counties including the Bay area, President Joe Biden also just approved disaster assistance via FEMA. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in those counties can begin applying for assistance by registering online at disasterassistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App.
The food scene is pitching in, too. In St. Petersburg last Saturday, the city deployed local food trucks to feed folks in 10 different locations until supplies ran out. In Tampa, six local restaurants have teamed up to offer free, fresh meals daily through Friday, Oct. 4.
Live concerts were also postponed or canceled altogether in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, but many bars and venues along the coast—where musicians can play regularly—were rocked, too.
One of those is Treasure Island’s Ka’Tiki which is closed until further notice. But Crowbar owner Tom DeGeorge—who’s spent the last few years with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the D-Tour network of indie venues and promoters—says that The National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) has emergency relief funds for venues damaged by Helene.
If you’ve set up any relief efforts Creative Loafing Tampa Bay can amplify, please email [email protected] to let us know.
