MADEIRA BEACH â In three weeks, the 2021 hurricane season will begin.
That reality is a source of dread for many people who live on the barrier islands along the Gulf of Mexico â and particularly so for Madeira Beach residents Grace Ariss and Eric Cabrera and their families.
For them, it seems like just yesterday that Tropical Storm Eta snuck up on Pinellas County beaches with up to 6 feet of storm surge to flood and severely damage hundreds of homes.
Seven months ago, Eta forced both families into temporary housing, and they are still unable to return to their homes.
âThere are still so many people still suffering here,â says Ariss. âWe are lucky that we could afford to rebuild, but not all people can do that.â