Everyone’s been talking about the buckets of water and gloomy skies brought by Tropical Storm Debby. But she isn’t just an annoying storm, her force also brings destruction. My parents have a beach house on the sleepy little island of Pass-A-Grille, on the southern most tip of St. Pete Beach, FL. It’s been our haven for nearly 20 years.
Sunday night I got a frantic call from my cousin calling to check on my parents who spent the weekend at the beach. Luckily they left before the storm got bad, but the little town got hit hard. A tornado sped right through downtown, which is only one street, two blocks wide. It took the roof off the marina, did major damage at our favorite breakfast joint and picked one house up and dropped it like a toy leveling the house.That was on 8th Ave. My parent’s house lies six blocks south on 2nd Ave. Other than a leaky roof, a ripped off banister, missing soffits and a new lawn fixture (see below) their house was spared. God bless the people of PAG in the clean up.
Who’s fan is this? Not ours…
Photo credits – 1, 2 & 3 to my mom’s friend who checked on the house, 4, 5 & 6.
Carolyn G says
That’s terrible. I hate seeing so much destruction. But you can’t stop the forces of nature.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
Wow! We just got a lot of rain….
Crystal says
Wow, so scary. I live in the midwest and tornado threats never get any easier. I’m glad everyone is safe.
Stefani says
How devastating. I got chills when I read the post and am so glad that your parent’s house was not hit.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
It’s painful to see that kind of damage and know that people’s lives have been so affected. 🙁
Carrie with Children says
Wow – that is quite a bit of damage. Very sad! We had some flash flooding in our area, but thankfully no massive damage in my neighborhood!
Sara Phillips says
Oh I am so sorry! Your parent’s house looks like a great home! (Out of random curiosity – what year was it built?)
I hope the town is rebuilt quickly!
jen says
That’s an interesting question. The original house was built in the ’20s. It was the only house on the island not inhabited by the military during WW2 when the military moved in to protect the port of Tampa. (A little old lady lived there and refused to leave. Story goes, she held Sunday meals at her house for the officers.) Since then it has had more than a few remodels including my parents nearly complete overhaul in… Oh dear, what year was that? Let’s say 2003? Gosh time melds in my mind. 🙂
Brandy says
Aw man that totally stinks 🙁
karen Haack says
I have have had 3 homes that suffered tornado damage. 2 in florida and one in IN. Tornados can happen anywhere at anytime. During the tropical storms, hurricanes and depressions we get low F-1’s nothing like the hell storms in the midwest. If you live on the coast your likely to become a victim of a water spout or small tornados during these storms…You should just expect it.
jen says
Oh, I know they happen all of the time. But we’ve been lucky, and even if you’ve lived through them before they are scary! In the nearly 20 years my parent’s have had that house, weather has been kind to the island. And in my 32 years in FL, I’ve never seen a tornado! Until 2004, I had never worried about a hurricane in in-land Orlando – Charlie changed that. 🙂
Henrietta says
Oh my goodness, how scary! So glad to hear that your parents are okay and that your haven is repairable!
Tammy says
That’s scary. We had a lot of damage in the area from tornadoes and it was awful.
maryann at Matthew's Puzzle says
oh wow
Jenn @therebelchick says
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!
Billie says
Oh wow I’m so sorry for all the damage. I’m glad your family is ok.
Jenna @ For The Love of Baby! says
That is so scary to see but I am glad your family was safe.
Karen Ellis says
I am a native of Tampa but spent much time on the Gulf beaches. Do you know Bruno’s ? Is it still there? I have a lot of family history at PAG and feel for you and your family.
jen says
I remember Bruno’s – yummy Italian. But it’s been closed for a long while.
Katie says
Mother Nature is not being kind this year 🙁
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
I’m glad to hear your parents are okay but, wow, what horrible destruction!
Onica {MommyFactor} says
Wow such a powerful storm. Glad your family is ok
Anne says
So scary, glad your parent’s were spared the worst, but wow, cleanup is going to take a while!
Rachel says
Oh my gosh! 🙁 That’s so scary – glad your parents made it out. Was everyone else safe? Storms are so scary, wind can be incredibly destructive.
Kathy says
Oh my… that looks devastating!