‘Never give up': Davis Islands couple reflects on hurricane that changed everything
DAVIS ISLANDS, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane season is here again, and several across Tampa Bay are still recovering from last season's storms.
For one couple on Davis Islands, the memories of floodwaters, loss, and starting over are still fresh.
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John and Julie Fillingim moved to Davis Islands in 2021 never thinking a hurricane would flood their street, let alone their living room. But when hurricane season hit, they learned just how fast conditions can turn.
'Helene is the one that got us,' John said. 'You know, we had, we were visiting with folks that lived on the island for years that day, and they said, 'Oh, don't worry about it. Never floods. Davis Islands doesn't flood. It's been 100 years,' and we listened to that too much.'
The couple stayed until water crawled up to their front door, then knew they had to leave.
'We stayed until about 9:30 when the water got to the front of the house and we left in my truck,' he said. 'So we were able to drive out (with) probably 3 feet of water down by TGH.'
When they returned, they couldn't even drive onto Davis Islands. The damage was already done. The floodwaters had shifted their entire home around.
'We got here, and the outside lights were on,' Julie said. 'So, we're like, well, maybe it's not so bad. And then we opened this door.'
Inside, the waterline was proof of what they lost. The couple grabbed brooms and started pushing water out of the house.
'It was devastating. We just opened all the doors and got brooms and started pushing out.'
They weren't alone.
'Everybody had everything they had, including us, on the curb,' Julie recalled. 'And it was complete devastation.'
The storm's impact was more than physical.
'I have never been afraid of hurricanes in my life until now,' John said.
Through it all, Julie said she's holding onto what really matters, wearing a tank top that read, 'Never give up.'
'Never give up,' she said. 'We've been through a lot, and no matter what happens, we're never going to give up.'
Now, the Fillingims said they will evacuate early and urge their new neighbors to take hurricane season seriously.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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