Storm damage in Treasure Island: what to do in the first 48 hours

A checklist for Treasure Island and Pinellas beach homeowners after a hurricane: safety, photos, stopping water, insurance deadlines, permits and the 50% rule.

By Patrick & Dylan · Florida Certified General Contractor, Lic. #CGC1541672 · October 8, 2026

When Hurricane Helene's surge pushed through the Pinellas beaches in September 2024, sensors recorded water 7.26 feet above the average daily high tide at Madeira Beach and 6.75 feet at Clearwater Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center. Treasure Island sits right between the two. After Helene, the city's fire chief told FOX 13 that "all of the structures took water damage." Two weeks later, Milton brought gusts of at least 101 mph to the island.

The numbers that followed were huge. Pinellas County's damage assessment counted more than 40,000 homes damaged by the two storms. By mid-December 2024, Treasure Island had sent 969 substantial damage letters, and 644 of those buildings were found substantially damaged.

We rebuilt homes across Pinellas County after those storms. The first two days after a storm make a real difference in what the repair costs and how smoothly the permit goes. Here's the checklist we give homeowners.

The short version

Make sure the house is safe to enter.
Photograph and video everything before you clean up.
Stop more water from getting in, and start drying.
Report the claim and start a log.
Learn where your home stands on the 50% rule.
Get permits before rebuilding, and hire a licensed contractor.

1. Make sure it's safe

Stay out of rooms with sagging ceilings, and keep away from standing water if outlets, cords or appliances are in it. If water reached your electrical panel or outlets, have a licensed electrician check the system before you turn the power back on. Smell gas? Leave the house and call your gas company from outside. Watch for downed lines in the yard and street.

2. Take photos and video before you clean up

Walk every room and the outside of the house. Get wide shots and close-ups: water lines on walls, wet flooring and baseboards, ceilings, the roof edge, fences and anything you have to throw out. Florida's Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights tells policyholders to photograph damage before and after emergency repairs and to keep receipts for those repairs. Those photos are often the best record you'll have.

3. Stop more damage, and start drying

Florida's Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights tells you to make and document emergency repairs that are necessary to prevent further damage. That usually means:

Tarping roof openings and boarding broken windows or doors
Pulling up soaked rugs and moving furniture off wet floors
Running fans and dehumidifiers once power is safe

Speed matters. The EPA's guidance is to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

On Treasure Island, there's a rule to know before you start tearing things out. Until a permit is issued, the city allows owners to remove only flood-damaged materials: flooring, baseboards, drywall and cabinetry. The city asks you to email [email protected] before you begin. Save receipts for every fan, tarp and bag of supplies.

4. Report the claim and keep a log

Call your insurance company as soon as you can. Under Florida law, you have one year from the date of loss to file a new or reopened claim, and 18 months for a supplemental claim. Once you report it, your insurer must acknowledge the claim within 7 days and pay or deny it within 60 days, per the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights.

Keep a simple log: who you talked to, when, and what they said. Write down claim numbers and adjuster names. It saves a lot of headaches later.

5. Understand the 50% rule before you sign anything

All of Treasure Island is in a special flood hazard area, so the FEMA "50% rule" applies to every home there. If the cost to repair a building meets or exceeds 50% of the structure's value (the building only, not the land), the home is considered substantially damaged. It then has to be brought into compliance with current flood rules, which can mean elevating it above base flood elevation, adding flood vents and using flood-resistant materials.

A few details that surprise people:

The cost counts nearly everything: materials, labor, overhead, profit and demolition.
Your own labor counts too. The city counts owner labor at normal hourly wage rates, and donated materials at their actual or estimated cost.
The value comes from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser (the FEMA/WLM letter) or from an appraisal by a Florida-licensed appraiser.
Repairs no longer add up over the years. In 2025, Florida passed a law (SB 180) that bars communities in the flood insurance program from using a "cumulative" lookback period.

This is why a detailed, honest estimate matters. In January 2025, FEMA told Treasure Island it wasn't checking repair estimates closely enough before issuing permits, and the city tightened its process. An estimate that's too low can come back to bite you, and so can one that's padded.

What storm repairs can cost

We couldn't find reliable Florida-specific prices for these, so these are national figures from cost guides. They help you budget, and they show why the 50% rule matters on the beaches.

Work	Typical national cost	Source
Emergency roof tarp	About $450 on average ($150 to $3,300)	Angi, 2026
Water damage cleanup and drying	$1,383 to $6,369 (about $3,868 on average)	HomeAdvisor, 2025 data
Drywall replacement after water damage	$1.50 to $3 per sq ft	HomeAdvisor, 2025 data
Storm surge or long-standing flooding	$20,000 to $100,000	HomeAdvisor, 2025 data

6. Get permits before you rebuild

Treasure Island requires a permit for all work in the floodplain, including drywall, even on small jobs. Cabinets, countertops and painting don't need a building permit, but the city still requires a renovations form for them, and that work counts toward the 50%. Permits are handled online through the city's portal, or call the city at 727-547-4575. Communities can waive permit fees after a disaster, but as FEMA puts it, the permits themselves can't be waived.

7. Watch out for storm chasers

After every big storm, out-of-town crews knock on doors. Some are fine. Many aren't licensed. In Florida, unlicensed contracting during a declared state of emergency is a third-degree felony. State law also bars contractors from offering to waive your deductible or give you gifts for a roof claim, and from interpreting your policy or negotiating your claim unless they're a licensed public adjuster.

Before you hire anyone, look up their license for free at myfloridalicense.com or call the state at 850-487-1395. Be wary of anyone who wants a large deposit up front or won't give you an itemized written estimate.

How we help

We're a Florida Certified General Contractor (Lic. #CGC1541672). After a storm, we walk the house with you and give you a clear, itemized written scope you can share with your insurance company and the building department. We handle drywall, flooring, doors, windows, framing and structural repairs, and we coordinate licensed electricians and plumbers when the job needs them. We don't negotiate insurance claims; that's a job for you, your insurer or a licensed public adjuster.

Don't wait for the next storm to find out where your home stands. You can start with the city's post-hurricane FAQ, then see our storm damage repair page or request a free estimate.