For more than a decade, Kathryn Wiggins never gave a second thought to the roof above her office at Airgas. But everything changed Wednesday night.

“We have no roof. Bathrooms are damaged, tiles are down, water is everywhere — everything is soaked. It doesn’t look like our office anymore,” Wiggins told WTSP, surveying the wreckage.

She was the first to arrive and witness the aftermath of the violent storm that tore through Pinellas County. The Omni Business Park, where her office sits, was ravaged: trees uprooted, fences flattened, and rooftop AC units thrown across the parking lot.

“You don’t know what to feel. I don’t know what to feel,” she added, visibly shaken.

The destruction didn’t stop at commercial buildings. Just 15 minutes away, across from Seminole High School, a neighborhood was also hit hard — debris scattered across yards and streets.

“This morning, we were out picking up small things so people could get out for work,” said one resident, pitching in to help clear the damage.

Erik Sawyer, a six-year resident of the neighborhood, was stunned.

“It’s ironic — there’s more damage on this street now than from last year’s hurricane. The tornado brought down more branches and debris,” Sawyer said.

Still, amid the wreckage, both Wiggins and Sawyer expressed gratitude.

“I can’t describe the feeling — it’s not good,” Wiggins said. “But I thank God no one was in the building when it hit.”

Now, as cleanup begins, neighbors are uniting—clearing debris, helping each other, and trying to restore normalcy to their storm-struck community.

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(Image credit: WFLA)

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