The Tampa Bay area of Florida, particularly St. Petersburg, was hit hard. Even before landfall happened, at least 12 hours ahead of Helene's late-night arrival in Perry, the water was coming over the railings in Bayshore, a prominent community in Tampa.

Across St. Petersburg, stunning images emerged early Friday morning of flooding unlike previous storms. In Shore Acres, water levels had nearly reached stop signs; in downtown St. Petersburg, bay waters kissed The Vinoy; and in Gulfport, the small seaside town’s downtown was awash with debris from tidal flooding.

Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater will experience hurricane-force winds and catastrophic storm surge due to the storm’s huge wind field, despite being far from the forecast landfall region.