ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Cleanup continues in St. Pete Beach, as residents and businesses deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The owners of Footprints Beachside Recovery say they are working tirelessly to clean out one of the organization's housing facilities, where clients struggling with addiction stay during recovery.
“It started slow and then just started rushing in,” said CFO Shane Templeton of the storm surge that made its way into the building.
He said the team at Footprints evacuated residents at both its St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island locations ahead of the storm and arranged for alternative housing during cleanup.
Templeton said the office space on Treasure Island received minimal water and should reopen in the next week. In the meantime, outpatient services are being held at the nearby Hilton Hotel.
“Addiction doesn’t stop just because of natural disasters,” said Templeton. “They have to keep with their progress and keep getting well and we owe it to them to give them the help they need and they came for.”