PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — This Thanksgiving looks much different here on Sunset Beach, but the community is coming together to support each other and celebrate.
"There's people there, but it's nowhere near as busy as it usually is every year," said Angie Corson, who lives on Sunset Beach.
"It's just much quieter…it's just kind of like an eerie feeling," said another resident, Coleson Hammond.
Sunset Beach on Treasure Island looks almost unrecognizable this time of year.
"It's definitely quiet…usually it's loud and people everywhere up and down the roads, parties going on at everyone's houses, so many friendly faces," said Coleson.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the area, and families are still recovering.
"We had about six feet of water here. The water line was up to this panel," said Coleson.
Corson's sisters experienced major damage to three of their homes.
"She had water damage too, so she's had to get her whole house back together again, and we are still struggling to do that," said Corson.
Some families have decided to leave the area and have Thanksgiving elsewhere, but others stayed.
"It's really not about the house and the conditions. It's about people getting together and having a good time," said Coleson.
Corson's pool was ripped out of her yard during the storms, and she filled it with sand.
She's now having Thanksgiving with 20 of her closest family members where the pool used to be.
"We are just going to group here so we feel better about everything," said Corson.
One local restaurant, Ka'Tiki, is one of the only restaurants open on Treasure Island. Employees held a potluck for families who stayed for the holiday.
"Honestly, I feel like it's for people who don't have any family to go to, or their family is so far away they can't really go there, or people who just live in this area and their homes got destroyed," said Terris Cooper, an employee at Ka'Tiki.
Despite the barrier island's emptiness, the people who live there say their hearts are full this Thanksgiving.
"Just brings tears to my eyes. It's a lot of work, but it's good. It's joyful; I'm blessed. I feel very fortunate, in spite of everything that has happened, I feel fortunate," said Corson.
This week, an unlikely partnership between a sixth-grade student and a barbecue restaurant brought Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of hurricane victims across Pasco County.
