ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Many people who were hit hard by Hurricane Helene are now left with the difficult decisions about whether they have enough money to rebuild.
Jody Powell has lived in her St. Pete Beach home for more than 50 years and is overwhelmed by the devastation after floodwaters poured into her home.
“It’s a nightmare come to life,” Powell said. “This is massive. All my retirement money is gone from all of this.”
Powell evacuated St. Pete Beach before Helene hit, but she was still able to see the storm wreak havoc on her waterfront property.
“He was standing in front of my house waist deep in water way before the surge was coming and the high tide was coming,” Powell said.
Her neighbor captured a video of her house flooding as the storm approached.
A waterline shows the water levels climbed 4 feet high.
Officials shut down access to Pinellas County barrier islands for two days due to hazardous conditions.
She said there was still standing water inside her house when she returned.