Residents and business owners slogging through cleanup from Hurricane Helene on Pinellas County’s barrier islands now have another worry, according to county officials: red tide. The notorious algae could cause breathing problems for people already struggling to pick up waterlogged debris from moldy, ruined buildings.

Red tide was detected in Pinellas County waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said it is monitoring low to medium concentrations of Red Tide in Pinellas County.

Red tide has been detected in Pinellas County water samples, adding a new concern for a region still early in its recovery from Hurricane Helene. State of play: Medium concentrations of red tide were found in samples from St.

Karenia brevis, the red tide organism was detected in 11 samples from southwest Florida in the past week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Pinellas County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are monitoring red tide levels in several locations throughout the county.