Home burns, police trapped at station, residential rescues and shared shelter
Stories of rescues, resilience and community support have surfaced from the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene.
In the wake of the devastating storm, Holmes Beach police Chief William Tokajer and residents Briana Gagnier and Patricia Buffat recounted their experiences to The Islander.
Tokajer, who often says he is “living the dream,” told The Islander Sept. 28 that the dream became a nightmare only days before, as Helene made its passage Sept. 26 through the Gulf of Mexico.
Tokajer said that nightmare began when unexpectedly rapid flooding trapped him, Lt. Brian Hall and about eight other law enforcement officers at the city police department, 5801 Marina Drive.
He said flooding began when a rainband from Helene hit around 6 a.m. and brought a “daunting” storm surge that only continued to rise until around midnight — at which point it was measured to be more than four feet above Marina Drive.
“Within minutes, the roads were impassable,” Tokajer said. “It was just unbelievable how quick the water came in and how fast it was rushing. It looked like a river going down Flotilla and Marina Drive.”
“Even if we wanted to leave, there was nowhere we could go,” he added.
Tokajer expected the hurricane to pass by 8 p.m. Sept. 26, at which point he and Hall planned to leave the rest to the night shift, but flooding did not subside until the next day.
Due to the flooding, the HBPD garage took on about 22 inches of water despite the use of door dams and about seven department vehicles may have been damaged by saltwater.
The storm resulted in a structure fire at a property in the 200 block of 74th Street, according to Tokajer.
He sent four officers out on a Manatee Search and Rescue high-water vehicle to ensure the house was empty, but nothing more could be done since West Manatee Fire Rescue vehicles could not reach it.
Tokajer said the fire was still burning when police checked the property — which was a total loss — in the morning, at which point dirt was dumped on the ashes to extinguish it.
The cause was said to be a lithium battery in a golf cart.
Holmes Beach police also tackled a handful of rescues including one involving a family of three adults, two children and a dog from a flooded home.
That family spent the night sheltered at the WMFR Station 3, 6001 Marina Drive.
“The only reason we went out and put ourselves in harm’s way for that was because the kids,” Tokajer said. “We were getting calls all night from people saying ‘Hey, I’ve got sparking in my house and I need help.’ We were like, ‘Turn your power off and get on your counter. … This is going to be bad.’”
Tokajer did not get back to his house until about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 27, after a full morning of assisting with recovery efforts.
He estimated 100% of the city’s ground-level properties were damaged by the storm, which flooded many with 3-4 feet of water.
Some properties were even worse off.
“There are houses that are decimated. Not just from water damage but from the sheer pressure of the water coming at them,” Tokajer said. “There was nothing that anybody could do about it. You just couldn’t stop Mother Nature.”
Resident Briana Gagnier, a commercial fisher who stayed on the island, told The Islander Sept. 27 that she and her parents escaped her home after it began to flood.
An evacuation for the island was issued ahead of Helene but Gagnier said she was “stubborn” and decided to stay since the hurricane was not set to hit the area directly.
She said that things were OK until she and her parents heard the sound of her garage door cave in, and water began pouring into the property.
“We all looked at each other and grabbed the dog leashes, put the chinchilla cage on the highest point of the kitchen counter. … We opened the door and (the water) was up to my shoulders,” Gagnier said. “I’ve been through some stuff, but that was probably the scariest moment of my life.”
She said they swam to a two-story home and got inside before rescuing two elderly neighbors from another flooding home.
“All night, we just watched the disaster unfold. The water just kept rising and rising. At the highest point, it was above our mailbox. We watched fires erupt next to us. Homes on fire. Car alarms going off. The lights turning on. Out of a nightmare, really,” she said.
Her cars and home — as well as many others — were ruined by water damage.
“It’s completely catastrophic,” Gagnier said.
Resident Patricia Buffat told The Islander Sept. 28 that she was able to safely wait out the storm from a second-floor condominium unit with the company of Daniel Miracle, a local homeless person also known as “Barefoot Daniel” or “Cowboy.”
Buffat said she has known Miracle for years.
She said she found Miracle at an island bus stop ahead of the storm and offered to bring him back to her place for shelter.
Buffat said her condo lost water and power, but both were restored by Sept. 28 and the property was largely unscathed.
She said Miracle was staying at her place for the time being and had been enjoying binge-watching “Breaking Bad” since power was restored.
Following the storm, Buffat said she and Miracle drove around the island and were shocked by the devastation.
She began assisting with restoration efforts for others.
Buffat praised the island community, which she said has pulled together to support each other in the wake of Helene.
“Whatever we can do to help other people out is what we do,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to live on the island. The people have the biggest hearts. They really work together and take care of each other.”
