TIERRA VERDE, Fla. — Fort De Soto Park was hit hard by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which left almost the entire park flooded by storm surge.

But Pinellas County officials say work is ongoing to clean the park up and eventually reopen it to the public.

What You Need To Know

  •  Fort De Soto has been closed since Hurricane Helene

  •  Hurricanes Helene and Milton both caused extensive damage to the park — knocking down trees and filling the beaches with dangerous debris 

  •  No official word on when the park will reopen

Fort De Soto is filled with contractors, volunteers and employees, all working toward the goal of getting the park cleaned up and safe for opening.

Ranger David Harshbarger drives around to survey the ongoing operation.

“I’ve been coming here my entire life," he said. "It’s a little stronghold of an undeveloped barrier island that doesn’t exist in many other places."

There are still signs of the destruction brought by the two hurricanes.

“That campers day room had 2-3 feet of debris just jammed inside of it," Harshbarger said. "Picnic tables washed away, grills washed away,” Harshbarger said.

A lot of the debris has been relocated to junk piles, which will eventually get moved out. However, there are still dangers lurking on the sandy beaches, including hidden debris like nails or other sharp objects. Harshbarger said crews will continue to rake the sand and clean it up.

There is no word on when the park will be ready for visitors, but members of the Pinellas County Commission say they hope to have the park open by Christmas, but the timing will depend on whether it’s safe or not.