By LOIS KINDLE
Coastal residents of South Shore faced the unimaginable last week when a massive hurricane 100 miles away brought devastating storm surge into their homes and businesses.
People watched in horror as the water kept rising. Some were lucky to escape damages. Others were not.
The response from the community was swift.
During the onslaught, people with trucks and swamp buggies in both Ruskin and Apollo Beach put themselves at risk to rescue folks trapped in their homes. Community groups on the internet were deluged with calls for assistance. Ruskin native Donny Buzbee was among them.
“Donny saved an 83-year-old man found in his home in chest-high water,” said his friend Tracy Cannon, owner of South Shore Signs. “The man’s family photos were floating around him in the water.”
After Hurricane Helene had passed, Buzbee; his girlfriend, Alexa Vigneau; and Earl and Annette Bush sprang into action, setting up a tent camp operation in Ruskin. Using a cooking trailer brought in by Mike Camus, they and their friends fed thousands of displaced residents over three days at no charge.
The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents and destroying homes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Melanie Davis, executive director of the Greater SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, which was completely flooded by storm surge, reactivated SouthShore Strong, a Facebook page she started during COVID. Scrolling down the page, you can see both the depth of need and the generosity of folks responding.
“It’s strictly for connecting resources to those in the community who need them,” Davis said.
Meanwhile, in Apollo Beach, SeaGlass Church, Salty Shamrock and Circles reacted swiftly.
The restaurants began collecting donations of cleaning supplies, wellness items, children’s and pet supplies, cash and gift cards to be delivered daily exclusively to displaced residents of South Shore.
The church immediately focused on helping folks living on the “F” streets, which had been inundated with water.
“We assembled teams as quickly as we could,” said The Rev. Tom Campbell, missions and outreach pastor, noting volunteers from Waterset joined them in offering showers in their homes, cleaning up, hauling trash and providing moral support.
Nearby, Wellspring Church and The Fish House are gathering items for storm victims.
“The community outpouring has been phenomenal,” Cambell said. “While the losses are heartbreaking, the rallying-around, gathering-together effort [to provide help] is inspiring.
“There’s a lot of work still to be done,” he added. “Weeks and months from now, people are still going to need help.”
A collective effort
Volunteers are still needed to do physical labor, like moving furniture and removing wet carpet during the limited time the county will pick up storm debris roadside, said Amanda Gary, SouthShore Strong administrator.
There’s a great need for fans, blowers, air mattresses and generators, as well as folks who can cook meals, offer warm showers or wash wet clothes.
“Right now, we don’t need any clothes or furniture,” Gary said. “There’s nowhere to put them.”
Nonprofit organizations like the Firehouse Cultural Center and My Warriors Place have been especially hurt. They’ve suffered the double whammy of incurring not only property damages that will be incredibly expensive to replace but also the loss of all income.
“We lost dry wall, brand new cabinets, electronics, sound equipment, microphones, lighting and all of the MacBeth and Cheese set and equipment, plus summer camp supplies, art and crafts, pottery wheels and possibly our kilns. We essentially have to start over.
GLEN GRAY PHOTO
Ruskin residents Donny Buzbee; his girlfriend, Alexa Vigneau, and Earl and Annette Bush sprang into action after Hurricane Helene passed. They and their friends set up a tent camp operation in Ruskin and fed thousands of displaced residents over three days at no charge.
“We would appreciate it if anyone who made reservations would turn their payment into a donation and rebook when we re-open,” said Beth Stein, the cultural center’s operations director.
My Warriors Place is in a similar place.
“We’ve lost seven cottages, furniture, golf carts and a van, everything but our stilted building,” said Kelly Kowall, founder and president of My Warrior’s Place. “Financially, we had just finished recovering from Hurricane Idalia, so we don’t have the funds to recover from this one. We’re praying those who weren’t affected will make a donations to help us rebuild.”
If you’ve been displaced or are in need due to Hurricane Helene, visit the SouthShore Strong Facebook page and add a post.
The same applies if you have ways to help.
The people of South Shore are resilient. When push comes to shove, they’re always there for each other.
As Davis likes to say, “We got this!”