TAMPA, Fla. – It has been one week since Hurricane Helene changed the lives of tens of thousands of people across the Tampa Bay area.
From Sarasota County to Citrus County and beyond, homes and businesses have been damaged, people have been injured and some have even died. So many people lost so much in a storm they never imagined would be this bad.
Beth Gutierrez has lost her things, and the illusion that Davis Islands is high enough from sea level for her belongings to be safe in a storm.
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“I’m thinking about leaving. I’ve been here for 25, 30 years,” she said. “I can’t do another hurricane season at this level.”
She is one of hundreds on Davis Islands who are getting used to a life of insurance adjusters, refurbishments and a new sense of vulnerability.
“You have to tell yourself it’s …