Authorities are struggling to get supplies to isolated areas across the U.S. Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the death toll from the storm is rising

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.