PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Beach cleanup at Fort De Soto Park is now underway.
The Pinellas County landmark has been closed for nearly ten weeks after hurricanes Helene and Milton left a path of destruction there.
On Monday, Pinellas Public Works leaders said they completed their first round of debris pick-up across Unincorporated Pinellas County, which was their top priority. Now, they have the resources to turn efforts to the destruction within Fort De Soto Park.
"It's a slow, tedious process to get this debris removed so it's safe for the public," Pinellas County Debris Manager Sean Tipton said.
Tipton explained they're working to remove both the large debris as well as small hidden dangers.
"They will pull any large, exposed debris off the beach, and take it to a debris site," Tipton said. "Then, a beach rake goes down the beach, picks up any smaller non-organic material, nails, metal, or glass that could have washed in that could be a hazard."
Some of the debris will be burned at the park daily.
"The Parks Department has the ability to do controlled burns out here," Tipton said. "So any vegetative material will be burned out here to reduce the cost of hauling."
Park Management said while it's still too soon to estimate the cost of this extensive damage, it is a significant hit.
"There's not a man structure at the park that hasn't been affected—that's anything from picnic tables to electrical systems, wastewater systems—really everything has been affected," Fort De Soto Park Manager David Harshbarger said.
Moreover, the park is missing out on roughly $70,000 a week by having its campgrounds closed during a normally busy time of year. Beyond extensive debris and damage to the grounds, the campground electrical system needs to be rehauled before it reopens.
"Our campground certainly picks up this time of year. It gets cooler out and people really want to camp. Thanksgiving week, we know we've had a lot of locals coming out for many years," Harshbarger said.
Harshbarger said they are committed to reopening as soon as possible.
"The second we can open those doors safely, we will open those doors safely," Harshbarger said.
Debris cleanup on the beaches is expected to take several weeks. Areas of the park will gradually reopen as they're able, but management said some parts might take up to a year before they fully reopen.
Last week, Fort De Soto reopened its boat ramp, but the rest of the park remains closed at this time.