Helene made landfall late on Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 Hurricane. It weakened Friday morning to a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph.

Hurricane Helene, a massive Category 4 storm at landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, caused catastrophic storm surge, and its path of destruction continued on into Georgia, the Carolinas and

Storm surge is a bigger killer than wind when a major hurricane hits shore. The areas in the path of Hurricane Helene are more susceptible to surge than other parts of Florida's coast.

In Clearwater, one of the hardest-hit regions, water levels surged to a record 8.6 feet, eclipsing the previous high of 6.8 feet. Similarly, in East Bay, levels peaked at 7.3 feet, surpassing the old record of 6.7 feet.

Tropical storm force winds began battering Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Helene prepared to make landfall, with forecasters warning that the enormous storm could create a “nightmare” surge along the coast and

The winds might have died down as Hurricane Helene dwindles, but dangerous storm surge and flooding rivers in Florida are still a concern.

Hurricane Helene's staggering storm surge inundated neighborhoods on Siesta Key, leaving businesses and residents with a long road to recovery.

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.