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,

Tampa Bay area of Florida, particularly St. Petersburg, was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm Sept. 26, 2024.

Tampa Bay’s regulars — our barkeeps, retirees, refugees — all had the same reaction this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, no matter what part of the region they call home. Surprise. Never seen it this bad.

More than 50 people have died across five states as Hurricane Helene's massive rains and powerful winds sent devastating floods and widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast, leaving millions without power.

The night before, after Hurricane Helene blew through the Tampa Bay area, many rescue calls had been made from the island. Two homes had caught on fire. Tampa’s mayor, Jane Castor, said she was stunned by how much of the island remained underwater early Friday when she flew over.

With every passing hour since Hurricane Helene swiped Tampa Bay, a stark reality sharpens: We're at the beginning of a long road to recovery. State of play: Governments, organizations and industrious neighbors are working to provide immediate relief to storm survivors,

Helene did not directly hit the Bay Area, but an unprecedented storm surge produced by the hurricane devastated many of the coastal communities.