CRYSTAL BEACH, Fla. — PJ Ornot is used to spending time in flooded homes. He was a Coast Guard rescue swimmer for 24 years. But last month, a natural disaster literally hit home.
“It was a little bit weird coming into your own flooded home,” he said.
Three and a half feet of water wrecked his house in Crystal Beach.
“Couches were in my dining room. The bed was against the wall. Windows got broken from debris from outside that was floating and inside as well. It was trashed,” Ornot said.
Now, like so many others, Ornot and his family are without a home and dealing with the challenges of renovating or rebuilding.
He’s spent hours navigating the permitting process to get work done.
Tuesday he found out an inspector from Pinellas County did come to his home.
But because he was given no advance notice, he couldn’t show the inspector the inside of the home.
“The rules seem to keep changing halfway through the game. No one really knows what to do. It’s like do you do this? Do you do this? That rule worked yesterday, but it doesn’t work today. Lack of communication seems to be the biggest thing.”
Because PJ lives in a flood hazard area in unincorporated Pinellas County, his home has to be assessed for what’s called substantial damage.
It’s a rule many people are finding out about where the cost of repairing the home equals 49% or more of its value.
Officials say the assessments are needed to keep coverage with the National Flood Insurance Program and other federal benefits.
Pinellas County says its inspectors are visiting all the homes in those areas and it should be done by the end of the year.
Ornot is ready to get things going and is even considering elevating his home if that’s what it takes.
“I’m willing to comply with the county. Build my home up. Build it above flood plane and I’m just kind of stuck right now,” said Ornot.
Despite all the damage, and now the cost of repairs, PJ says he’s never thought about moving.
“I love my neighborhood, Crystal Beach is great. The outpouring, people dropping off all these cleaning supplies and stuff on the very first day, people I don’t even know helping me rip stuff down. I would never, I don’t want to leave this neighborhood. It’s great,” PJ said.
