TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Pinellas County officials reopened access to beaches and barrier islands to residents, business owners and employees at 4 p.m. Saturday. A Barrier Island Re-Entry Permit is required.

Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said early restrictions were necessary because of the extensive damage.

“Since the onset we were conducting rescues,” he said. “We had several structure fires, some related to EVs, we had several people that we found floating on mattresses in their homes that didn’t evacuate.”

Gandy said they’ve rescued upwards of 60 people and Saturday afternoon there were still people being picked up from the area.

From a jet-ski on the sidewalk to furniture lining street corners, there’s little that escaped Helene’s wrath.

Gandy said the storm surge led to more problems than just the damage. It restricted the movement of first responders, so even when they became aware of fires in the area, they had no way to get there.

“Everything they own is burned to the ground because we had five feet of water over this road and no ability to put out the fire,” he said.

Cars line up ahead of a checkpoint to return to Clearwater Beach in Pinellas County. (Spectrum News/Randy Levine)

From properties to the beach, each area is facing unique problems.

Several residents in the nearby communities, including Treasure Island, have been working to clean up since the storm surge from Helene caused massive flooding.

“It’s so pretty, the sunsets out there. I mean, this is the Florida life,” said Peter Van Aartrijk. “There’s reward and then there’s risk, and I guess we ran out of time.” 

Although water got into his home, his house was for sale, so no items were inside.

His work is currently picking up debris that washed up onto his property.

For others like Bob Bernetski, he’s got a lot of work ahead of him.

Bernetski has lived in Pinellas County for seven years and, little by little, worked to construct his dream home. He was one of the few in his neighborhood that wasn’t home when the storm hit.

“When my neighbor called me and told me there was a boat in my yard, I was OK until I heard that,” he said.

Despite the damage he came home to, he’s staying positive.

“Everything can be fixed, nobody got hurt,” Bernetski said. “That’s the thing I am glad. He made it, these guys made it, I’m glad nobody got hurt.”

Just a few blocks over, Francisco Candelaria has been depending on a gas station for food and water.

Francisco was one of many who decided to stay on Treasure Island, and it was one of the scariest hurricanes he’s ever been in.

“It was carrying so much water. I have never seen so much water coming out of a hurricane,” he said.

Like many others, he is trying to find the positive in so much damage.