TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been one week since Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay area and one week since people in some communities lost everything.

What You Need To Know

  • A donation site was set up behind Best Buy on Drew Street, but the group who organized it were told they had to shut the unauthorized site down for several reasons, mainly safety and being on private property

  • Organizers say they are relocating to established donation centers 

  • Donations that were brought to the site behind the Best Buy are being taken to a synagogue located at 3190 Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater

Residents in a Clearwater community were impacted by flood water levels that got so high, it reached the second-floor balcony of some buildings. More than 540 residents had to be evacuated from The Standard at 2690 Apartments. It was what the Pinellas County sheriff called the most significant rescue effort in the county’s history.

Images of the dramatic flooding have people coming from all over wanting to help, which has resulted in a makeshift donation site.

A donation site was set up behind Best Buy on Drew Street, directly across the street from The Standard 2690 apartments. The donation site had been there for a couple of days and volunteers said the store allowed them to keep items inside overnight.

People had donated items like cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other items needed after losing your belongings during a hurricane.

But on Wednesday, the group of community members who organized the donation site were told they had to shut the unauthorized site down for several reasons, mainly safety and being on private property.

“We hope that relocating the donation site to some of the established donation centers will encourage residents to seek shelter and seek a safe place to stay until their housing situation can be resolved,” said David Hale, the executive director of Maddie Williams Neighborhood Family Center.

Hale’s organization was just one of the community organizers coming together to collect and distribute the donated items. He said after the storm, some residents have been sleeping in flood damaged apartments and sometimes camping outside.

Elvira Scott and her family evacuated their second-story apartment at The Standard at 2690 just as the water was rising last week.

“It was pitch black. I mean, it was black, windy, stuff was just moving around or whatever, but we took a chance and we was able to get away,” she said.

Since then, they’ve been staying with family. But she can understand those who are staying with their stuff.

“It’s not safe, but I understand because this is our home. This is where our life and everything we own is here. So, if you don’t have anywhere to go, of course we’re gonna camp out here,” she said.

Her apartment has water damage and mold and has been deemed unlivable. So, she had to utilize the donation site across the street.

“I went over there to be nosey. And then after that I picked up a few little things, but then after that I ended up actually helping out,” she said.

When she showed back up to the donation site later in the day, it looked a lot different. The donations were packed up and taken to another location. Elvira plans to help out there too, ensuring her neighbors get what they need.

Spectrum Bay News 9 was told the donations that were brought to the site behind the Best Buy are being taken to a synagogue located at 3190 Gulf to Bay Blvd Clearwater, FL 33759.

Government officials are encouraging people who want to donate or need donations, to go to the county’s disaster recovery website for a list of locations.