Helene’s powerful storm surge killed 12 near Tampa. They didn’t have to die.
Helene was never predicted to hit Tampa — it’s eye made landfall 180 miles north. But at more than 200-miles wide and winds whipping at nearly 140 mph near its core, it created surges that hit all along the Florida peninsula’s Gulf Coast. Most weren’t deadly, but on Pinellas’ barrier islands, the water wall came from all directions.
For Tampa Bay, Helene was the worst storm in a century
Add it all up, and what its residents intuited is undeniable: Tampa Bay just had its worst hurricane in a century. In living memory, plenty of major hurricanes have threatened this region before decimating other places, and plenty of unassuming tropical storms punched above their weight.
Tampa Bay is in recovery mode after Hurricane Helene
Days after Hurricane Helene pummeled Tampa Bay's coastal communities with record-breaking storm surge, the region is in recovery mode. The big picture: It's safe to say Helene was the worst storm our region has experienced in a century, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
As Florida Storms Worsen, Some in Tampa Bay Wonder: Is Living There Worth It?
Residents of the booming region are confronting a new reality: Even when storms make landfall far away, their impact is being felt.
School’s still out for some Tampa Bay students thanks to Helene
All Hillsborough County schools are reopening Monday, spokesperson Tanya Arja said. They experienced only minor damages during the storm. The plans quickly shaped up for the shift to accommodate the Pinellas students displaced by Helene.
Chopper 2 video shows extensive Hurricane Helene damage in St. Pete Beach, Tampa Bay, Fort Myers
Chopper 2 was up over Hurricane Helene damage Friday morning after the storm swept across Florida's Gulf Coast and made landfall in the Big Bend region late Thursday. The Category 4 storm brought catastrophic winds and storm surge along nearly all of Florida's Gulf Coast.
After Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic floods, see your home’s storm surge risk
Storm surge impacts mainly coastal communities, but some inland communities could get inundated by the massive amounts of water.
Hurricane Helene debris overwhelms Tampa Bay cities and haulers
Trucks and trailers filled with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene — fallen tree limbs, drenched mattresses, drywall from destroyed homes — waited in line for two hours to get into GFL Environmental’s transfer station in Largo on Thursday.
Hurricane Helene: Where the Tampa Bay area stands one week after the storm
It has been one week since Hurricane Helene⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ changed the lives of tens of thousands of people across the Tampa Bay area.
Axios Tampa Bay on MSN2d
Takeaways from Tampa Bay's historic brush with Helene
Hurricane Helene laid bare Tampa Bay's vulnerabilities — and its strengths. Here are four takeaways from our community's ...
Before-and-after aerial images show how Hurricane Helene hurt Tampa Bay
On Pass-A-Grille Beach, forecasters projected 6 feet or greater of water above ground just hours before Hurricane Helene's ...
The Business Journals3d
Tampa Bay restaurants, hotels brace for impact after Hurricane Helene
Beyond hospitality jobs, tourists also contribute to Pinellas County's bed tax, a revenue source that is set to fund the construction of the Tampa Bay Rays' new stadium and ongoing beach ...
School’s still out for some Tampa Bay students. Thanks Helene.
When Pinellas County students return to school Monday, children from two schools swamped by Hurricane Helene won’t be joining ...