After Hurricane Helene, a surreal day at the beach
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A pile of debris in Indian Rocks Beach. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
I spent a few hours yesterday on Pinellas County beaches shadowing University of South Florida researchers as they assessed the state of the shoreline post-Hurricane Helene.
- It was the first full day the barrier islands were open to the public since up to 7 feet of storm surge swept into homes and businesses up and down the coast.
Why it matters: It was clear, driving past mountains of sand and water-damaged belongings, with decay in the air, why county leaders told visitors, sightseers — anyone without a reason to be there — to stay away.
- I also understand the urge to want to see for yourself what happened to the beaches so many of us love.
Here's my attempt to be your eyes and ears.
Imagine this ridge of debris on a curb in Madeira Beach, but everywhere.
- Along Gulf Boulevard and side streets were piles and piles of appliances, couches, mattresses stacked five high, the drywall and wood-plank guts of buildings.
- And everywhere, the debris reminded me where I was: beach chairs, boogie boards, pool noodles and rattan furniture with those Florida-style seat cushions, patterned with tropical leaves and birds of paradise.
It cannot be overstated how much sand there is, swept into plumes of grainy mist, dumped onto the beach by front loaders and piled in parking lots.
- And yes, parking was even more of a nightmare than usual.
I guess we know where at least some of the sand came from. So many dunes didn't survive. They were pushed into pools, first-floor parking garages — or right into homes.
- Retired engineer Robert Ackart showed me the up to 2 feet of sand piled in the courtyard of a condo complex where he owns a first-floor unit.
- "I can't even begin to fathom a guess at how long it's going to take" to clean up, he said.
The surge moved some big structures. Boardwalks were tossed around like toys, while a mangled jungle gym wrapped around palm trees in Belleair Beach.
Not even the mansions of Belleair Shore came out unscathed.
- Helene tore up the lavish backyard paradise of this home that Philadelphia Phillies player Ryan Howard sold in 2019 to Clearwater developer Ben Mallah for $16.5 million.
Nothing about this walk on the beach felt normal. But there was Kenny Kohler, strumming an acoustic guitar on his back patio that now, sans dunes, offered an uninterrupted view of the sugar sand and sparkling Gulf.
- Right. This is why we live here.