FLORIDA, USA — People across Tampa spent Monday morning cleaning up after the mess left Hurricane Helene.
Newswatch 16's Jack Culkin is in Tampa to help sister station WTSP tell the stories of those affected.
In one neighborhood, piles and brush stand tall on street corners while items that once decorated the insides of homes now litter the sidewalks and curbs as people work to rebuild.
Harry Quintero, a Tampa resident, says, "Actually, when the surge came in, it was actually a pretty night. It wasn't windy. I just saw the water come down the street, and within 10 minutes, it was in front of my house.
Quintero and his family were forced out of their home after thousands of gallons of water rushed into their living area.
"My other son walking across the street, you know, carrying the dog and walking to our neighbor's house where it was higher up and basically our whole life right here, right in front of you, all our furniture lost."
Next door, a brand new home was left with more than a foot of water inside the garage.
Builder Jeffrey O'Neal says an inch more would have covered the floors with stormwater.
"It's a tough decision. Do you knock down the home and sell the property, knock it down and build a new one and build it above the flood plain."
But amidst the devastation, residents are finding little things to help them get through these tough times.
"Today, we took the kids to school, which is good. They bring some normalcy back into your life. You know my kids do baseball, and right now it's trying to clear everything out of the house, last pieces of furniture we are not saving anything. It's all gone."