Hurricane Idalia updates: What we know about flooding, damages in Tampa Bay Area
TAMPA - Waters began receding across the Tampa Bay Area Wednesday evening, hours after Hurricane Idalia swamped coastal communities with the worst storm surge the region has seen in decades.
As conditions improved, authorities began reopening major bridges and airports and restoring access to barrier islands.
All the major bridges had reopened as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, including the Howard Frankland Bridge which closed early Wednesday morning when water covered the travel lanes. The Sunshine Skyway bridge, which closed early Wednesday due to high winds, also reopened.
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Authorities announced both Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport would fully reopen Thursday morning.
The Pinellas County School district said schools would reopen Thursday, but any storm related absences would be excused. Classes also resume Thursday in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. Citrus County, which was hit hard by flooding, will remain closed Thursday.
Polk County schools will reopen on Friday. In Manatee County, schools reopen Thursday, with the exception of Anna Maria Island Elementary. Anna Maria Island experienced serious flooding and damage assessments were still underway Wednesday evening.
Storm surge was the big story up and down Florida’s Gulf Coast. Many coastal areas experienced flooding starting early Wednesday morning and a flood watch is in place until Thursday morning as storm surge and a higher-than-normal tide will remain.
All of Pinellas County’s coastal communities experienced storm surge flooding, with Treasure Island and Sunset Beach seeing some of the worst of it. At one point the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercoastal waterway were connected by water and many homes were flooded.
Gulf Boulevard in Treasure Island was also under several inches of water early Wednesday morning.
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A downed powerline caused one home to catch on fire in Madeira Beach. In St. Petersburg, fire-rescue crews rescued more than 75 people from flooded homes earlier in the day.
But even as water levels fell, many neighborhoods remained under water, with authorities saying it will take time for the water to completely drain.
Shore Acres and Snell Isle, which are prone to flooding, were still surrounded by waste-deep water late Wednesday afternoon. Patrick Evans, who used a kayak to get around, said his home was flooded.
READ: Idalia downgraded to tropical storm over Georgia after making Florida landfall
"There’s no words to describe how I feel," said Evans, before saying "helpless, and hopeless."
As high tide began to roll in, Harbor Island in Tampa also began to flood.
Nearby, Tampa's Riverwalk began to flood early Wednesday morning with waters covering the walkway.
FOX 13 reporter Matthew McClellan took the video below shortly before 7 a.m. as water flooded Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor later shared photos of Bayshore Boulevard and downtown flooding.
In Citrus County, flooding remained a persistent problem west of U.S. 19. Deputies used airboats to rescue 60 people from their flooded homes.
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During a news conference in Crystal River, Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast raised concerns that some stranded residents may have been unable to call for help.
"I think that we have some concerns about that, but we just don’t know what those numbers might be," said Prendergast.
In Pasco County, deputies used inflatable rafts, airboats, and high-water vehicles to rescue 150 people from their homes in the Sea Ranch and Hudson Beach communities. The neighborhoods, west of U.S. 19 were under an evacuation order at the time, but many residents didn’t heed the advice.
MORE: Idalia downgraded to tropical storm over Georgia after making Florida landfall
In Hernando County, flooding prevented fire crews from reaching a home that caught fire on Hernando Beach. The home, surrounded by water that had risen around it, was inaccessible to firefighters, but a pair of neighbors jumped in to keep it from spreading.
"We used water hoses to keep the embers from burning other homes," said Nevin Jenkins, who owns an airboat, which he used to reach the home.
As the Bay Area began to recover from what Idalia left behind, residents along the South Carolina coast prepared for what’s ahead. Idalia, now a tropical storm had moved farther into Georgia toward the South Carolina coast with winds in excess of 60 miles per hour.