Along the crisscrossing streets of Shore Acres, homes were tied together by a devasting string — waterlines at least 4 feet high marking low-level homes. On Friday afternoon, residents were assessing damage from Hurricane Helene’s record overnight storm surge.

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.

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.