To those who live on the narrow spit of land that is the Pass-a-Grille neighborhood — the tail end of barrier islands extending from St. Pete Beach up to Clearwater known as “The Key West of Tampa Bay beaches” — it’s a slice of paradise developed at the turn of the century and historically sheltered from major storms.

Steinhatchee on Florida’s Gulf Coast faced severe damage from Hurricane Helene, which brought 140 mph winds and a 10-foot storm surge. Most of the town's residents evacuated and returned to find their homes and businesses destroyed.

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

Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.