Last week, our slice of paradise was impacted in a way we haven’t experienced in our lifetime. Following Hurricane Helene, many parts of our destination have gotten back on their feet, but the damage caused to our waterfront communities and along our beaches by historic storm surge will take a little more time to fully recover. Barrier islands are open, but many sections of the beaches are working to clean up and some remain without power, while others on the southern end of our beaches are awaiting the return of potable water.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is working hard alongside Pinellas County at the Emergency Operations Center to help provide lodging options for the displaced residents as well as response and recovery workers. We cannot say thank you enough to all our hotel partners who stepped up to recover from the storm and prepare their accommodations to welcome our neighbors in a time of need. Additionally, we have been in constant contact with our chambers to see how we can further assist the business community.
It has been heartwarming to see our entire County join together – administration, elected officials, business leaders, and residents – to repair our community. We’ve seen so many people stand out as hospitality heroes after Hurricane Helene, assisting with a variety of activities to clean, repair and recover all over the County.
Though no specific timeline can be given for a full return to normalcy, the road to recovery has begun. In the meantime, we will work to ensure visitors know they can still enjoy many of the amazing arts and cultural experiences, attractions, wonderful restaurants and nature excursions around Pinellas County.
Through this process, the strength, compassion, and unity of St. Pete-Clearwater continues to shine bright. We are St. Pete-Clearwater, and we are Still Shining!
