TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Paradise Lutheran Church on Treasure Island held its first Easter Sunday service after completing a complete remodeling of the building following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The building was flooded with around 18 inches of water.
That 18 inches of water left much of the building's wooden walls needing to be ripped out, a story many on Treasure Island know all too well.
"The church has gone through a really destructive experience to be able to come back and be filled and have the sounds and energy and the brightness that it's kind of alive," Pastor Tom Mitchell says.
Mitchell has been a pastor at Paradise Lutheran for over eight years and was one of the first to see the damage after Hurricane Helene flooded Treasure Island in 2024.
"It was a long process. It's a little bit of heartache, but in the midst of all that heartache, there were a lot of people that kind of showed up at the right times to help us through the process," Mitchell said.
18 months later, after all the repairs are finally complete, the Easter service can be held inside again.
The next steps for the church are to install flood barriers around the outside of the building to ensure they are prepared for any future storm.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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