PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — While folks continue to recover, state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would make sure local government's have post-hurricane plans for future storms.
Cindy Baker lost almost everything during Hurricane Helene.
"It rips your heart out, again…and my whole life was sitting on that curb…things I thought I could save, but you're so overwhelmed, you just throw it out there," said Baker.
She hasn't been able to repair her home yet because she hasn't obtained the necessary permits.
"My concern is I'm going to get repairs done just in time for the next hurricane," said Baker.
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She is now living out of a makeshift bedroom surrounded by torn-out walls.
"I thought if I could come in here, spend time here, and actually wake up here…I could do things and help settle my…I don't know. It's a step forward," said Baker.
It's a step forward that many who live in Shore Acres say they've been waiting for, for months.
"After Helene, we discovered statewide that city municipalities around the state, especially here in St. Pete and along the beaches were woefully unprepared for the aftermath of a storm like Helene," said Kevin Batdorf with the Shore Acres Civic Association.
A new bill currently being considered by the state legislature would require local governments to have detailed post-hurricane plans in place.
The bill requires outsourcing staff and training more employees to speed up permitting and inspections.
"Even if the city were just to cross train some of their employees…they have an engineer staff that has the credentials, they could be cross trained in building inspections short term," said Batdorf.
It would also push for alternative debris sites to be temporarily opened, to prevent debris from sitting outside people's homes for months, as many experienced after Helene.
"We had 2,189 homes in shore acres that had flood damage…so if you were driving through here, you were driving through a dump site…every home had a pile of debris on the street and its unfortunate that there was no plan in place to manage that more properly," said Batdorf.
The City of St. Pete says it had a 90-day goal to pick up the unprecedented amount of debris and met the goal earlier than the deadline.
Batdorf says it still took too long, and he hopes the bill will make a difference.
"It's going to move the needle a little bit, and hopefully be more prepared if this ever happens again," he said.
Pope Francis passes away at the age of 88.
