Gulfport is still cleaning up and sharing resources after Hurricane Helene

Some downtown Gulfport streets are closed, people’s belongings are piled on curbs several blocks from the water, bars are gutted and a sailboat sits grounded on a sidewalk; the waterfront business and residential district in Gulfport — in south Pinellas County — got considerable damage from storm surge a week ago during Hurricane Helene.

Debbie Amos owns the Tiki Bar and Grill with her husband. It’s along the waterfront, across from sand volleyball courts and the beach. They own the business, but lease the building, which has visible damage from what she estimates was more than four feet of water.

“The structures are — most of them, anyway — are still standing. But everything on the waterfront here is completely damaged or a loss going in a few blocks from Shore [Boulevard S.], probably up a good four to five blocks, I think,” she said. “This whole waterfront area is flooded, damaged piles and piles of debris and people’s lives out on the curbs. And, yeah, it’s, it’s pretty surreal, you know? It’s what you see on TV, you know?”

Amos says she doesn’t know when the Tiki Bar and Grill will be able to reopen.

“Just cleaning up, trying to decide what we’re keeping, what we’re not, what can be salvaged or not. We have great, great volunteers here. It’s amazing how everyone’s helping and stopping by for food and supplies and giving donations. But we’re just trying to get through what we should focus on. Get ready for pickup, things like that,” Amos said.

She thinks that the water level inside the Tiki Bar and Grill “probably settled at about four feet, but it was much higher than that. I think when it came through.”

Amos and some volunteers were cleaning out the devastation at the restaurant Thursday morning when volunteers delivered supplies. They come from an ad hoc hub at the Catherine Hickman Theater, which is about six blocks inland and mostly avoided hurricane damage.

The hub is a partnership between The City of Gulfport, the Gulfport Senior Center and the Gulfport Merchants Chamber.

Kelli Garcia is with the Gulfport Merchants Chamber board of directors and said they are still accepting and distributing donations like, “water, cleaning supplies, food, personal care items. That’s really all we’ve been trying to accept. And as quickly as it comes in, we send it back out.” Garcia added, “the first few days, we had a lot of residents coming to get it, and now we’re taking what we’re doing now is loading up and taking it to parts of our community that can’t get to us that need the help. About 25% of homes in Gulfport were damaged from the storm, so we are focusing heavily on businesses that were impacted and personal homes that were impacted.”

Garcia says that through Saturday, they are accepting water, food and cleaning supplies. A list of items and how you can help or how you can ask for help is on the website VisitGulfportFlorida.com.

“A lot of people really want to have fresh fruit or fresh vegetables available for a snack. Because this is truly what do you need for a few days to get people through the hardest part? We’re also accepting bleach, paper towels, masks and gloves are huge, as people are cleaning out their homes. Buckets, things that are useful for cleaning your house and then things that are useful for maintaining your own health. So first aid kits, shampoo, deodorant, personal hygiene,” Garcia said.

There is also a food truck sponsored by World Central Kitchen handing out meals.

The family of the late musician John Prine owns a house about a block from the Gulfport waterfront. On Thursday morning there were damaged belongings stacked at the curb and the sounds of construction coming from the inside. The family foundation, The Hello In There Foundation, is raising funds for Hurricane Helene relief in Gulfport and elsewhere.

Here is a link to more resources.

Pinellas County provided this information for people who need temporary housing