SARASOTA, Fla. — The flooding caused by Hurricane Debby has impacted back-to-school plans for some families in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
Among some of the belongings many families lost in last week's floods were back-to-school supplies and clothing meant for the new school year.
Some families in the Pinecraft neighborhood, one of the hardest hit in Sarasota, have worked around the situation so their children can get off to a good start. However, some others have paused back-to-school plans because of their ongoing challenges related to the storm's damage.
"Trying to see if, you know, we can rescue them out by rinsing and washing, and then taking to the laundromat," said Yajaira Aballay, a Sarasota mom.
Aballay said her three kids don't have any clothes for school because they lost all their belongings in the flood.
"Thankfully, we didn't go and do the school supply shopping and stuff yet but we got some stuff from my sister-in-law's coworkers. They were very very very nice and I'm grateful for them," Aballay said.
While some impacted families are staying at hotels, Aballay's family had to commute a distance on the first day of school to catch the bus because they are staying with relatives in Manatee County.
"The traffic was very hectic and you know everything going on in my head was just a little, but they were excited to go back to school and see their new friends and their new teachers and stuff like that," she said.
Her next-door neighbor's child has postponed going back to school this week to stay home and help the family continue the cleanup process.
"I'm going be extremely stressed the first couple weeks and it's going to impact my performance in school considering the fact that we are dealing with all of this at home," said Khyle Robinson, an 11th grader at Sarasota High School. "We also lost a lot of stuff, including school supplies and stuff that I was going use for school, backpacks ruined, a lot of clothes."
Impacted families like these have had to make unexpected calculations and decisions in unconventional times.
"Getting things done with our residence and living situation is a priority over missing a few days of school that can be made up. School will always be there," said Anthony Derosa, a friend of Robinson's family living with them.
"It's been heavy on our hearts and we've been really working around the clock to connect with families that have been challenged by Hurricane Debby," said Terry Connor, Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools.
Officials say around 50 students and 15 teachers and staff were severely impacted by the floods.
"Food may be a problem clothing so what we're doing is working and connecting them to One services and social workers trying to see what barriers may impede them from having a successful start of school and getting to school," Connor said.
"We're strong human beings, and we can make it through and start all over if we needed to," said Aballay.
School officials also said that communication is key at this time as the community tries to rebuild from the storm.
Conner said if families don't speak up and connect with the right resources at their schools or the district office, there is no way officials will be able to know the extent of a family's specific situation, challenges and needs.
In addition, with the return of yellow school buses onto the roads and kids trying to get to and from their bus stops, school officials and law enforcement are reminding drivers to be extra careful and vigilant.
They urge drivers to slow down, especially in school zones and residential areas, and be sure to stop when you see a school bus's stop sign arm out.