CLEARWATER, Fla. - Clearwater Beach is currently closed to visitors as the city focuses on recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. While police checkpoints have been lifted to allow traffic on and off the barrier island,

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — To those who live on the narrow spit of land that is the Pass-a-Grille neighborhood — the tail end of barrier islands extending from St. Pete Beach up to Clearwater known as “The Key West of Tampa Bay beaches” — it’s a slice of paradise developed at the turn of the century and historically sheltered from major storms.