ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — From blackened pools to flooded cars, Vincent Tormenia watched anxiously for hours during the storm as nearly 3 feet of floodwater filled his entire St. Pete Beach front yard.
“We have never seen water like that, it was just coming over,” Tormenia said.
While Tormenia's wife’s car is a goner, he knows that other people in the area are suffering even more.
“It could have been worse,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse.”
That’s why a group called Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay is there to help people, free of charge, whose homes took on significant damage.
“If you have shingles missing from your roof, and now you have water coming in overhead, you need immediate assistance,” Brandy Canada, the senior director of operations for the group, said. “You need someone who can get up on that roof and tarp it for you so you’re not being rained on while you’re waiting for your insurance to come through or waiting for FEMA to come and assist you.”
Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay is already taking applications to help people impacted by the storm who may not have the means to fix their homes.
“Things like tarping, muck and guts, and then also getting them on a waitlist for long-term repairs,” Canada said.
As their crews prepare to head out to help after another storm, leaders say this is the type of community action that doesn’t fade.
They’re already seeing things come full circle from people who needed help after Hurricane Ian.
“Those folks are calling us and saying ‘Hey, this happened in this area, it’s outside of our area, but can we help? How can we volunteer?’” Canada said.
You can find out more about Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay to help or get assistance by clicking here.