NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Hundreds of neighborhoods spread out Pasco County were taken over by the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday evening. Families there said it was much worse there than Hurricane Idalia — more than four feet higher in some places.
Homeowners who suffered flood damage in Idalia are now starting over Hurricane Helene.
“It makes what happened last year seem like an inconvenience… and it cost a year of my life,” Thea Yatras said in New Port Richey of the damage to her home. “I prepared as if I was going to be flooded, moved my bench to the kitchen counter and got everything off the floor, into plastic bins. I sandbagged, draped and duct taped it down, but I have a waterline of 1 20 meters in front. door was pushed open.”
READ: Pinellas County’s barrier islands remain closed after being hit by Hurricane Helene
Yatras said she just finished renovating her home from Idalia last month.
“I was just done and functioning a month ago, and now I get to do it all over again and this is much, much worse,” she said.
The force of the water punched holes in her wall, shattered glass windows, toppled her refrigerator and left her washing machine running. Her house is now uninhabitable.
The shock she feels is unfortunately shared by thousands of people across Pasco County this week. Pasco County will offer debris drop-off and pickup services in affected neighborhoods in the coming days.
All information about locations and timings can be found here mypasco.net.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
