TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) –Spring break crowds return to the barrier islands after Hurricane Helene and Milton swept through destroying homes and businesses that are still working to get things back to normal months later.

Monday was the first day of spring break for many students across Tampa Bay.

“Crabby’s on the pass, gone,” said Landis Wilson. “PCI’s gone.”

“It’s just really different,” she continued. “It’s really different this year.”

For spring breakers like Wilson, seeing the state of Pinellas County’s barrier islands was heartbreaking.

Wilson and her friends came down from the University of Florida.

They knew Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed the islands, but Wilson said months later, things are still different.

“It’s completely displaced, there’s nobody really here,” said Wilson. “There’s not a lot of tourists either.”

“I feel like it’s completely different this year,” Wilson continued.

City leaders said the entire island was under 10 feet of storm surge, impacting every structure.

A measure passed by commissioners allows tents and food trucks in parking lots.

For one of Treasure Island’s most well-known establishments, Caddy’s, that move is helping business owners and restaurant staff make some money during their busiest season.

Caddy’s Treasure Island Manager Evan Bradish said, “Obviously the storms did affect us pretty heavily, it’s going to be about a year before it gets all the way back up and running in its original space.”

In the meantime, Bradish said patrons can still enjoy Caddy’s under a tent in the parking lot.

Bradish said they’re still cooking crowd favorites out of a food truck and serving drinks at the new temporary bar.

“It was built by hand and it’s actually one of the nicer bars I’ve seen in a while and it was put up in about a week,” Bradish said.