Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton upended peoples lives across the greater Tampa Bay region, and WUSF reporters were there to report on the storms as they happened. And the recovery as people rebuild their homes, businesses and get their lives back on track.
Three reporters from the WUSF news team join Florida Matters to share insights on the hurricane season. You’ll hear Kerry Sheridan explain how Sarasota and Manatee Counties were impacted by back-to-back storms. Gabriella Paul reflects on conversations with people who rode out the storms in Pasco County. And Jessica Meszaros talks about how the hurricanes brought unprecedented flooding, and how communities are trying to adapt to the hazards of climate change.
Meszaros talked to people who've lived in Florida for decades and saw flooding in their homes for the first time, and the environmental impacts from flooding and beach erosion, why storms are getting stronger and how communities are trying to adapt. Among the stories of resilience were insights into how schools and teachers helped the community recover, and profiles of people on the front lines, including a FEMA administrator who travels the country from disaster to disaster, and a power line worker who helps get the lights back on for her neighbors, and advocates for fellow female utility workers.
Meszaros said she was honored to tell the story of Duke Energy line worker Susy Macke.
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"Amidst all of the destruction and the sadness and the stories that we tell talking to people who went through such traumatic events, I really wanted to highlight the voice of somebody who was doing something to help. You know, as Mr. Rogers says, like, look where the helpers are," said Meszaros.
Before the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, there was Debby, which brought catastrophic flooding to Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Sheridan said it caught residents by surprise.
"The storm had passed, and that was when, really, a lot of the floodwaters started to rise in neighborhoods and streets filled up with water. Houses became islands, and people were just wondering, what is going on," said Sheridan.
The storm season had a big impact on the natural world too, from reopening Midnight Pass to bringing the community together to search for a beloved missing owl.
"It really showed how people come together after a storm, whether it's, you know, to search for an owl who's missing, or to help each other with supplies or places to call or cleaning up the yard, or all kinds of things that people did for each other after these storms," said Sheridan.
"A lot of people made new contacts in their neighborhoods and new friends despite the stress of it all."
Paul spent time talking with people in Pasco County who decided to stay put and ride out the storms, and first responders as they worked on the recovery. Flooding wreaked havoc on Pasco County too.
Before Hurricane Milton hit, Paul shared the story of Lacie Snyder, who rode out Hurricane Idalia at home, and urged people to heed evacuation orders.
'My takeaway from talking to her having survived that —is that as Floridians, we need to not succumb to the desensitization we have to hurricanes, and we have to realize that every storm is so different, and that just because you survived the last one, or you, you know, maybe bucked some of the official guidance, that does not mean that you'll be in the clear for the next storm."
Reporting on the recovery is an important part of the story of the 2024 hurricane season. And that's the focus of a series called Making it work as people in the Tampa Bay region get back to their jobs after the storms.
For Paul, Dade City citrus worker Michelle Cartaya's story highlighted "the invisible toll of missed days of work."
And those are a lot of the the losses and sacrifices that I'm sure lots of residents are making in Florida after the hurricane season and surely outside of hurricane season.
Paul, Meszaros and Sheridan also shared the stories that made the biggest impact on them in 2024.
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For Sheridan it was the flooding that happened in Sarasota after Hurricane Debby. The story of Allison Cavallaro in Laurel Meadows, said Sheridan "just reminded me of how long and how deep these scars can last."
Paul said a highlight for her was a series about corporate- owned rental properties.
"This was one of those moments where just putting something out in the light and publishing it made made a positive impact," said Paul.
"So it's it's certainly not going to fix the corporate rental industry, but that one definitely sticks with me from this year."
And Meszaros said one of her favorite stories was a podcast she produced in partnership with WWNO in New Orleans, focusing on homeowners insurance in Florida.
"Right now, it's really a critical time to keep an eye on the insurance industry and see what happens after these storms."
