GULFPORT, Fla. — The devastation left by Hurricane Helene in Gulfport is evident on every corner. Piles of debris still stand outside boarded-up businesses and boats remain toppled over on the sidewalk.
As residents watch the forecast for Hurricane Milton and the potential for even more storm surge than they just experienced, they wonder what will be left of their quaint little city when they return.
“The streets are empty, people are preparing for the next round, you just see people’s lives out at the curb, it’s kind of sad,” said Tim Phillips, who lives nearby.
On Tuesday, as local police drove around broadcasting the evacuation order, crews were busy trying to clean up as much debris as possible. It was rare to see any other people, a welcome sight for emergency officials in Pinellas County, who implemented a mandatory evacuation for people living in Zones A, B, and C and mobile homes.
Nearby the now-flooded historic Gulfport Casino are signs representing the levels of storm surge that could soon inundate downtown and the neighborhoods even a half mile up the road.
"It’s awful,” said Michelle Unterberger,” who was looking at some of her favorite local stores, now boarded and sandbagged again. “Are they ever going to be able to recover? Is this ever going to be the same? I don’t know.”
It’s a sobering thought for Michelle and many others who love this quaint little coastal city, as they seek shelter at hire ground.
“We have hurricane shutters, we went out and bought water and canned goods and that’s the only thing we could do to prepare,” said Unterberger.
“We can only hope.”
