ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — More than a month since Hurricane Idalia impacted Florida, communities in the Tampa Bay area are continuing to rebuild from the storm.
"It's unlivable right now,” said Danny Daugherty, who lives in Shore Acres.
Daugherty’s house had a couple feet of water in it, and in the aftermath, debris piled up.
The storm took an emotional toll, too.
"My home. You build something with your wife, and it happens. There's a lot of people a lot worse off than we are,” said Daugherty.
He’s not unlike his neighbors. Nick Traster lives just a few houses down.
"In front of our house probably had five feet of debris that was stacked two or three times that they came, FEMA came and picked up,” said Traster. “We officially moved back in Sunday, two days ago, and it's not done, but it's done enough to be back home."
ABC Action News visited the Shore Acres neighborhood several times after the storm. About a week after Hurricane Idalia, debris lined the roads, but now, much of that is gone.
The City of St. Pete is reminding residents debris pickup after the hurricane will end this Friday, Oct. 6 as crews finish their second pass in impacted areas.
City leaders add if you live in these areas and have storm debris, you should contact the sanitation department at 727-893-7398 before Friday.
The City also shared a few tips to make sure debris is picked up:
Place debris in front of your house near the curb
- Don't place debris near trees, poles, fire hydrants, utility boxes, or other structures that make removal difficult
Don’t place debris in alleys or on sidewalks
Don’t place debris in the street or block roads
Don’t bag your debris because bagged debris will not be able to be collected
The City explained after storm debris pickup ends, residents should put all debris in their regular trash can for pickup and that residents with items that don't fit in their bins can request a special pickup by calling 727-893-7398.
The City said St. Pete residents can drop off vegetative debris at one of its brush sites, stating all brush site locations are open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a week.
"I guess you've got to take the good with the bad,” said Daugherty.
Through it all, families are keeping their heads up and rebuilding one day at a time.
"I'd love to be in for Thanksgiving, but I don't know,” said Daugherty. “I want to be home for the holidays."
