INDIAN SHORES, Fla. — A bird sanctuary in Pinellas County was significantly damaged by Hurricane Helene and is now on a long road to recovery.
The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary prepared for heavy rain, winds and flooding and suspended rescue operations before the storm, but the damage was worse than expected. The nonprofit is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing injured birds and is home to 80 permanently injured birds that visitors can come see for free.
The birds onsite were okay, but there was flooding to the enclosures and water damage inside all the buildings.
"Our hospital has sustained significant water damage and we are still assessing the property. We unfortunately have to continue to suspend all rescue operations and injured bird intakes until further notice," one of their Facebook posts read.
Melissa Edwards, director of the avian hospital, said the damage is extensive with all buildings having about three or four feet of water.
"There's a lot of debris, sand and just kind of walking through the property is very overwhelming," she said.
Staff had to dig and tunnel through fences to access the property. They coordinated with other organizations to house some of the birds temporarily with a dozen going to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Edwards said.
"Our team has been working tirelessly, crawling through the debris to rescue our injured birds," a Facebook post read.
She said two staff members live in an upstairs apartment next door to the sanctuary and getting the phone call about the amount of water was very hard to hear.
"It was definitely one of the most difficult nights of our lives just waiting for the hours to pass for the water to recede so we could see how everything turned out," she said. "We're so grateful that they're safe and our birds are safe."
Mad Hatters Kava Bar is holding a fundraiser for the sanctuary to raise money for repairs. The sanctuary also started a GoFundMe page raising more than $36,000 with their goal being $50,000. She also said there will be opportunities for volunteers to come out and help clean up once it's safe to come out.
"The community support is much appreciated," Edwards said.
