TAMPA, Fla. — City of Tampa leaders and Hillsborough County officials provided an update to the aftermath of Helene, which made landfall in Florida Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane.
In a press conference Friday morning, Tampa officials confirmed two people died as a result of the storm.
The first fatality happened around 8 p.m. Thursday night when a sign struck a 23-year-old traveling in a car.
On Friday, officials also confirmed a woman "in her late 70s" was found by a neighbor. Tampa police officers are continuing to investigate the incident, but the county said water made it into the woman's home and it may have been related to electrical conditions.
Meanwhile, Tampa fire crews responded to nearly 200 calls and rescued 52 people, along with 8 dogs.
Between 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday, Hillsborough County fire crews said they responded to 256 service calls. Three of those were related to car fires, 11 related to motor vehicle accidents, 2 electrocutions, 5 sinking vehicles and 47 structural fire responses.
County officials said there were more than 500 victim rescues, though no deaths were reported.
There have been 256 reported downed powerlines, more than 93 flood-related calls and nearly 70 downed trees.
"Please do not needlessly put yourselves in danger by venturing into the flood waters," Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Jason Dougherty said in a press conference. "Stay away from downed power lines, stay off the roads, and stay safe at home the rest of this weekend while we continue to assist those in need."
Hillsborough County officials added that damage assessment teams are working around the clock. Public works teams are also clearing out roads.