MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — We’re lower than a month away from the beginning of hurricane season, however for a lot of in Pinellas County, they’re nonetheless working to recuperate from final season’s influence.
Practically seven months after Hurricane Helene, some residents on the Madeira Seaside Yacht Membership are nonetheless with out everlasting houses and are left ready on permits whereas time runs out.
Hurricane season begins on June 1. Proper now, a number of of the condos stay unlivable, and plenty of of them are houses of seniors who’re nonetheless with out permits.
Connie Noren, 87, has known as the Madeira Seaside Yacht Membership residence for greater than three a long time, however final 12 months’s hurricane season modified the whole lot.
“After 35 years, I believed that waters by no means came visiting the seawall earlier than, so it will be okay as a result of I am alone now, my husband simply handed,” Noren stated. “Then I watched and I believed, Yeah, that water’s coming over the ocean wall.”
Because the storm surge moved in, she and her son discovered themselves trapped inside, however with assist from her neighbor, she was in a position to escape.
“He got here in by way of the again window of my unit and got here in, and by then the water was as much as right here on me,” Noren stated. “It was form of scary. I can swim, however I did not know the way I used to be going to get out of there.”
She stated the storm swallowed greater than her furnishings, it swept away a lifetime of recollections.
“I’ve misplaced the whole lot. Every part, I’ve misplaced all of the recollections, all the images, all of the souvenirs. I’ve traveled so much with being a navy spouse, and I’ve collected lots of stuff. So, it is gone.”
She’s briefly dwelling upstairs due to a neighbor, however she’ll need to be out by June, proper as hurricane season ramps up once more.
For now, Connie is left navigating the pink tape, the repairs and the fact of beginning over at 87.
