'It's been stressful': Pinellas County woman prepares home ahead of storm

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Several counties are bracing for a line of powerful storms that will arrive Tuesday afternoon and evening. Some communities are still rebuilding from Hurricane Idalia, which hit in August. Another line of storms moved through in December. “There have been a lot of storms in a row,” said Lydia Kutz, who lives in Shore Acres.

“We’ve never had things like this happen before where it’s been one after the other so frequently.” Kutz is no stranger to the wrath of Mother Nature. Her home is still in disrepair from the remnants left behind from Idalia. Kutz lost several items when the floodwaters seeped into her home. Then in December, her family lost more items when they were hit by another storm.

“It’s been stressful,” Kutz said. Lisa Chadwick and her husband also live in Shore Acres. They’ve been patient as they continue to rebuild their home after the hurricane. “We got nine inches of water in our house during the hurricane,” Chadwick said. “Then, last week there was a small storm, and the water was close to our front door.

I’m getting fatigued with dealing with the insurance companies.” Many of Chadwick’s neighbors are working with contractors to raise their home onto stilts to avoid future floods. It’s an expensive option, but Chadwick is considering the cost. “I’d rather raise the house than move,” she said..