NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Communities across Pasco County continue to recover from the devastating storm surge caused by Hurricane Helene. It's estimated parts of the county saw 6 to 9 feet of storm surge.
County officials say the worst hit areas were the Sea Ranch area of Hudson and Gulf Harbors in New Port Richey, where nearly every home took on water.
Now, Pasco County Emergency Management said every home that saw flooding from Hurricane Helene must be inspected and repaired by a certified electrician before power may be restored.
County leaders say it's a matter of safety.
"This is recognized as best practice even by Florida’s Department of Emergency Management," Pasco County Administrator Mike Carvalla said "As you’ve seen, homes catch fire, and salt water and electricity just don’t mix."
For more information about safe restoration through Pasco County, click here.
However, some homeowners across the county have concerns about finding an electrician who can get out to help them all quickly.
"Absolutely frustrating," Melissa Horn of Hudson said. "They’re saying there was water over the outlets. Ok, we understand that, but so did other counties and they have electric back. And they’re saying get an electrician to come and do all the outlets, but ok, how long is it going to take for an electrician to come and do everyone’s house?"
Robert Shirley, another Hudson homeowner said while he's waiting on power, he's worried about mold.
"We can’t dry it out," Shirley said. "We’ve been sweeping, but that’s the best we can do. We can’t run fans."
According to Pasco County, once the safety check/repairs are complete, your electrician will provide an invoice and safety inspection affidavit to Pasco County, and the county will notify the power company to restore power.
The DBPR website has a list of certified electricians near you.