MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — In July of 2023, Sonny Flynn suffered a massive loss when fire coursed through the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center in John's Pass, killing more than 100 animals.

Now, she is dealing with additional heartbreak, after losing almost everything after Hurricane Helene left her home underwater.

What You Need To Know

  • The woman responsible for a wildlife discovery center in John's Pass suffered major damage from Hurricane Helene

  • The storm left Sonny Flynn's apartment almost completely underwater

  • She said her rescue nonprofit, now named Tampa Bay Rescues, relocated to St. Petersburg and was not affected by the storm

Spectrum Bay News 9 has been following Flynn and her story for more than a year now.

No longer called the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center, Tampa Bay Rescues and is now located in St. Petersburg.

Even with a new home and a new name, Flynn, the organization’s leader, is now having to get over a new obstacle — recovering from Hurricane Helene.

“This is what’s left of my home,” Flynn said, pointing to her John’s Pass apartment. “Almost the whole house was under water.”

It was on her 60th birthday that Helene hit and completely filled her home with water.

She said her fridge was tipped over, her cabinets were waterlogged, and the water line was still visible halfway up her wall.

But, according to Flynn, none of that matters compared to what else Helene took.

“I only had one picture of my mom and dad, and it’s gone,” she said. “I only had one picture of my brother and I. It’s gone.”

Flynn said, though, that she was going to press on with her rescue center as she rebuilds her home.

“I was given a reason to take care of these animals,” she said. “The animals are now a reason to take care of the community.”

Flynn has rebranded her nonprofit animal facility into Tampa Bay Rescues and has opened a new facility in St. Petersburg, which was nowhere near the storm surge.

Despite everything she’s been through, Flynn said her faith is still shining.

“God has a plan and that’s how it laid out,” she said.

The plan right now, without a home, according to Flynn, is staying with friends — or even in her car — while she figures out what to do next.

“Wherever I can find a shower,” Flynn said. “I laugh about it, but I have to laugh so I don’t cry.”

Flynn says if she can afford it, she plans on continuing to live in John’s Pass once the storm damage is repaired.

Tampa Bay Rescues, meanwhile, is having its first fundraiser on Nov. 1. For more information on Tampa Bay Rescues, visit the Tampa Bay Rescues website.