ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus drivers shared firsthand accounts of their lifesaving transportation efforts during Hurricanes Helene and Milton as the agency resumed normal service on Monday.

What You Need To Know

  • PSTA drivers had 569,853 riders during the pre-storm and post-storm response

  • Pinellas County Emergency Management requested 1,229 targeted evacuation rides 

  • One bus driver lost his possessions when his condo flooded, along with two cars, during Helene  

  • The PSTA fueled up 20 of their oldest buses, which were ready for an immediate response after the storms

“I’d be driving and having to grit my teeth to keep from crying as I watched,” said Connie Stein, a trolley driver. “I could never have imagined what I was to see on that first day driving that rescue trolley after Helene.” 

PSTA drivers had 569,853 riders during the pre-storm and post-storm response for the back-to-back hurricanes, which includes 1,229 targeted evacuation rides requested by Pinellas County Emergency Management, according to the agency. Stein estimates she evacuated hundreds of those riders from the beaches who were hit hard by Helene.

“Their cars were under water and under sand. They basically had nothing but the clothes on their back,” she said. “In some cases, million dollar homes and they lost everything. Some of them looked homeless. They just needed help. They needed to get out of there.” 

Some drivers are storm victims themselves. Bus driver Leon Smiley said he could not help out during Hurricane Helene because his condo flooded and he lost two cars, but worked around the clock to transport evacuees when Hurricane Milton struck.

“I got the chance to take my mind off my personal loss and it made me see that there was always somebody in worse shape than you are,” he said. “It made me stop feeling sorry for myself.”

The largest single relocation operation happened at the Good Samaritan Church in Pinellas Park when Helene knocked out the power and air conditioning. Approximately 300 people had taken refuge in the church with more than 230 who had mobility issues.

They were transported to a permanent shelter building on higher ground, according to PSTA.

Dispatcher Chris Blackshear said he volunteered to drive a van to transport people with disabilities after his normal shift ended and it was hard to see all the suffering.

“I got a heart for people and the stories, it just weighed in on me,” he said. “I felt like I was helping the community and I felt better at the end.” 

The PSTA said they fueled up 20 of their oldest buses which were ready for an immediate response after the storms to transport people to shelters and for lifesaving kidney dialysis treatments. They moved the fleet of newer buses to higher ground.