CLEARWATER, Fla. — It was one of the largest water rescues on record for Pinellas County after Hurricane Milton: 500 people saved from The Standard at 2690 in Clearwater.

Surprisingly, there are people living in some of the units in the front buildings, with Christmas decorations up on one apartment and a hammock on a separate balcony.

It’s a stark comparison to the rest of the units that are gutted, showcasing the complicated relief efforts still underway.

Living through Hurricane Milton, and its aftermath, is still a shock for many of the residents who once called the apartment complex home.

“I couldn’t believe that it was happening to me,” said Rodrigo Suarez.

He lived at the apartments for over a year with his wife and four children and described those moments seeing the damage right after Hurricane Milton.

“That’s the only time that I lived through the experience of a hurricane,” he said. “To see how it affected me and my family is impactful.”

Suarez said he had to move to Tampa into temporary housing right after the storm, making it difficult to get his kids to and from school.

“After about three or four days, we took the children an hour and 45 minutes to go to school from Tampa,” he said.

They just moved back to Pinellas but not at The Standard apartments. It’s a process he said wasn’t easy.

“The price of rent has skyrocketed and all of the requirements that they ask for has been really hard,” he said.

Finding solutions for the lack of affordable housing, empowering residents with legal and financial assistance are just some of the ways David Hale and his team at the Maddie Williams Neighborhood Family Center are helping people like Suarez.

“The Maddie Williams center has been working with families from the standard and all around the region who lost their homes and lost their possesses and their vehicles during the storm but that work takes time,” Hale said.

With the recent closings of hurricane shelters, Hale said their need to help families has gotten even more dire.

“Many families are staying with are staying with friends and family if they can, if they have those spots,” said Hale. “Unfortunately, many families are making tougher choices. Couch surfing. We know families are choosing to live in their vehicle. In those instances, we’re trying to get to them as fast as we can.”

He said they’re hoping people remember those devastating images of flooding and hear stories like Suarez and give back in some way.

A lot of the people who lived at The Standard apartments are Spanish-speaking families.

Hale said that created a lot of barriers in terms of culturally competent support and providing information about resources in languages other than English.

It’s just one of many things they’ve faced, but the Maddie Williams Foundation is confident people will continue to donate and reach out during this holiday season to help those families who need it most.