PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Many homes are still empty since Hurricane Helene, as homeowners moved away from the area over a year ago.
Now these abandoned properties are causing issues for residents on Treasure Island.
WATCH: Residents concerned about rat-infested homes on Treasure Island
"There's been a bit of a rat issue at night...so we've been seeing rats…dozens of rats scattered across this house in particular and running up and down the wires and just running everywhere," said Jean Colaianni.
Colaianni lives on Treasure Island near a home that has been abandoned since Hurricane Helene. She said the situation is frustrating.
"It's not just this house, there's this one, there's others on this street that don't seem to be tended to whatsoever, and I don't know what the next steps are," she said.
Residents said the rats around the abandoned homes are keeping them from walking along their streets at night.
"It’s concerning, I mean now that I’ve seen the rats at night, I don’t go out of my house at night. I don’t want to experience any of that. The concern about disease and all of that has been highlighted recently as well, so I just keep to myself at night," she said.
"When they have a habitat, its just going to grow from there, and it needs to be addressed," said Tom Lance.
Lance said he’s also concerned.
"Take care of it now before it becomes a public health issue," said Lance.
Tampa Bay 28's Casey Albritton brought the issue to the City of Treasure Island.
James Dixon, with code compliance, said the city has been working to contact the owners of the abandoned properties and is working to pass a new ordinance that would make it easier for city leaders to clear out and demolish homes.
"Which allows the city to formally address the property and deem it unfit and unsafe and allow us to abate the nuisance," said Dixon.
Colaianni said she hopes her neighborhood gets the help it needs.
"At some point, we've got to move forward and do something about this," she said.
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