Pinellas Beaches

Helene brought up to 18 feet of waves at the mouth of Tampa Bay, less than 10 miles from the shoreline. The storm surge also overtopped the Gulf-side seawall by up to 2 feet and bayside seawall by over 4 feet.

Residents of St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and Tierra Verde have been under boil water notice since Friday. If any leaks connect to their home or businesses, they'll have to cover the repair.

The two young men are using their own boat to collect and ferry supplies to the Pinellas County barrier islands. They also helped evacuate people immediately after the storm.

At last check, thousands of people in Pinellas County still didn't have electricity.

Officials caution against people coming out to the barrier islands to hang out or gawk at the storm damage. They say residents and workers need their space as cleanup and damage assessment continues.

The hurricane brought levels of storm surge that communities haven't seen in years. Crews are continuing to assess damage in neighborhoods that got hit with flooding.

County officials warn residents should not just return it to the beach, as it could be contaminated.

The city of St. Petersburg brought in mobile laundry operations to help people without power after Hurricane Helene, water or safe housing.

Road crews clearing tons of sand and people pulling debris from homes and businesses are just a few examples from Helene's aftermath.

People who chose to ride out Helene along Pinellas beaches described the fear they felt as water rushed through their streets and into their homes. It could take a long time for the barrier islands to recover.

The Category 4 storm was predicted to cause catastrophic storm surge across Florida's west coast. Photos from around the region show the flooding that ensued.

While Central Florida was spared from destruction in the Big Bend, many residents were surprised by the flooding while the hurricane was hundreds of miles away.