TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. (WFLA) – One year after Hurricane Helene flooded parts of Treasure Island, the Bilmar Beach Resort is officially back open, and for visitors and staff, it’s a welcome milestone.

“It has been a journey over the last 12 months,” said General Manager Clyde Smith. “Yesterday being the anniversary of Helene, where we took on over five feet of water.”

Before-and-after photos shared by the resort show the extent of the damage caused when the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on September 26, 2024. The storm surge severely damaged the lobby, offices, 33 guest rooms, elevators, and other key areas.

“Our lobby is a new, coastal, very casual look,” Smith said. “And our guests have just loved it since coming back here.”

The resort’s restaurant, Sloppy Joe’s, sustained less damage than the rest of the property. As workers focused on restoring the main kitchen, staff relied heavily on the restaurant’s kitchen to continue operations.

Second-time guest David Paul said the recovery is proof of Florida’s resilience.

“I knew time heals all wounds, and the Florida people are very viral,” he said. “They are strong, they rebuild, they keep on coming back.”

As hurricane season continues, Smith said the team is staying cautious and hopeful.

“We really hope to make it through a season unscathed here,” he said. “And it was the storm of the century. So, you know, we’ve been very fortunate in the whole Tampa Bay area. And so hopefully that will continue on in the future.”

During the months of recovery, the resort also played a role in the community response. Smith said they provided housing for FEMA guests and emergency crews.

“We were able to house our guests on the second floor and above for five months,” he said. “We were fully FEMA housing. So, with the exception of that, as we did house first responders on our second floor for about a month, we took care of not just our local fire department, but some visiting fire departments that were helping us from around the state. And other than that, we had guests in until about mid-February. And mid-February, we transitioned from FEMA into our traditional short-term stays and our spring break stays. And that’s pretty much when the FEMA program ended.”

Resort management said the main kitchen renovation is nearly complete and is expected to be finished in the next two weeks.