ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Assessment and cleanup continues in north Florida and across the Bay area after Hurricane Idalia.
Meanwhile, state officials confirm
At a Thursday morning news conference, Gov. DeSantis and Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie confirmed no storm-related deaths have been reported. There were two deaths related to driving in bad weather, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
A Pasco County man crashed into a tree when he lost control of his vehicle Wednesday morning, and another person died in Alachua County when he crashed his pickup truck into a ditch.
The hurricane made landfall Wednesday morning at 7:45 a.m. at Keaton Beach in Taylor County with 125-mph winds.
It left as many as a half-million customers without power in Florida and other states at one point as it ripped down power poles and lines.
Still, it was far less destructive than feared, providing only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas as it came ashore in rural Florida.
Here’s a look at recovery efforts across the region:
PINELLAS COUNTY
Flights at St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport resume today after the airport closed ahead of the storm.
During a news conference Thursday morning, Pinellas County officials said 60 water rescue missions were performed during and after the storm.
Crews will be out assessing damage today.
St. Pete police continue to limit access to Shore Acres due to continuing flooding there. Officials said hundreds of homes were flooded in St. Petersburg. Anyone with damage can report it to Disaster.pinellas.gov.
During the height of the storm, 28,000 homes in Pinellas lost power. That was down to just 2,600 by midday Thursday.
Meanwhile, crews were working until early Thursday to clear debris, water and sand on Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach. A total of about 85 dump trucks of sand was cleaned up, officials said. Indian Rocks Beach in particular had a big drop off from erosion.
Officials also said there were three house fires related to the storm.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Tampa International Airport is also now fully open. The airport was open to just to arriving flights yesterday afternoon.
Port Tampa Bay is still closed Thursday.
Coast Guard officials will determine when the port can reopen.
A spokesperson for the port said the Coast Guard needs to complete a harbor assessment today before they open again.
So this will impact incoming shipments and cruise travelers.
PASCO COUNTY
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said it did 85 rescue mission in the hours after Idalia roared by the Bay area, saving 150 people from flood waters. Deputies helped people ranging from 9 months old to age 90, officials said.
Also, crews are still monitoring some areas of Hudson and New Port Richey where flood waters had swamped streets.
CITRUS COUNTY
A part of U.S. 19 remains closed in Crystal River due to flooding.
U.S. 19 has been shut down from Dunnellon Road to State Road 44 because of remaining water on the roadway.
HERNANDO COUNTY
Some Hernando County residents who evacuated ahead of Idalia were allowed back into their neighborhoods on Wednesday.
A debris field greeted Sandra Day when she returned to her Hernando Beach home.
But she said there was no damage to the house itself.
That came as a relief since these screen shots from home cameras show what she and her husband saw while taking shelter: Their yard and neighborhood were flooded.
“Our backyard, the dock was up about two feet, and we could just see the water rushing in, and it sounded like a waterfall,” said Day, a Hernando Beach resident. “So, now you look how calm it is, and it’s all going over the berm now.”
No injuries or deaths related to Idalia have been reported in Hernando County.
Day said she feels like that’s an answer to prayers.
CEDAR KEY
Power has been mostly been restored in Cedar Key.
Still, some residents are being kept off the beach.
Officials are only letting residents who have re-entry passes cross the bridge.
Before the storm, city officials said their biggest concern was flooding. That held true and storm surge damaged businesses and homes.
Officials say it’s going to take some time to get the city back up and running and are asking for people to be patient as they continue cleanup and recovery efforts.
Spectrum Bay News 9 reporters Brian Rea, Nick Popham, Sarah Blazonis, Cait McVey and Fallon Silcox contributed to this report.
Spectrum News Staff
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