TAMPA, Fla. – A major hurricane had not struck the Tampa Bay area directly in more than a century. That streak ended abruptly last year with back-to-back storms, leaving behind destruction from which the region is still recovering today.

In this special report, we’re back in the height of another hurricane season. So, we’re taking you to different communities around west Florida and over on the east coast to assess the ongoing recovery and reveal the lessons learned.

One year ago, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of our state. Even though the Tampa Bay area didn’t take a direct hit, the region still sustained major impacts .

Storm surge would reach heights of six to eight feet in some areas, more than we have seen in decades and maybe

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