Hurricane Helene. The St. Pete Pier, Tampa Bay, Florida, hours before Hurricane Helene made landfall, September 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, bringing catastrophic storm surges which have destoyed buildings. Martha Asencio-Rhine Tampa Bay Times

Residents in Florida returned to their homes with shock and sadness Friday as they began picking up the pieces from Hurricane Helene's trail of destruction.

And for a long time, hurricanes have been a fact of life ‒ and usually mild enough to ride out in town. Locals threw hurricane parties, cracking open beers and howling defiance at the wind.