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.

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.

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.