MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Two days after Hurricane Helene, the beaches and barrier islands in Pinellas County reopened to residents, business owners and employees.
Some finally got to see their homes for the first time since Helene and say they've lost everything. One of Pinellas County's communities, Madeira Beach, looks far from paradise.
"My house is considered a total loss," resident Perinda Patri said.
Two days after Helene, Patri and Richard Markunas are trying to stay positive.
"Besides my house, my daughter is getting married a week from today and I just want everything to go smooth for her," Patri said.
Their children are heading to Madeira Beach to help them rebuild this weekend. Every bit of it will count, as Hurricane Helene's storm surge left behind destruction on the barrier islands.
Waves crashed through parking garages and destroyed cars. For tourists, the hurricane is how they are ending their vacation.
“I feel sorry for Madeira Beach," one tourist said. "Beautiful place, look how it was harmed.”
Long lines jammed the Tom Stuart Causeway as anxious neighbors waited to return.
"It looks like a war zone," said Dovile Koveraite of Madeira Beach.
Koveraite said she found her cat Jasper amid the piles of damage.
"Everything is trash. Documents, everything, I don’t know he made it," Koveraite said. “I can buy things, but I can never buy Jasper.”
Right now, she's focusing on what matters to her most.
"I don’t even care about anything," Koveraite said. "My cat is alive, my neighbor is alive, and we are helping each other.”
As neighbors rebuild, they have this warning for future major storms:
“If they tell you to evacuate, please take it seriously," Patri said. "Even if you’ve been through this a million times, please evacuate.”
On Saturday, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office announced at least nine people in Pinellas County have died from Hurricane Helene.
A water boil advisory is in place for the southern barrier islands like St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island.