ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane season has taken its toll on Florida's West Coast this year with three hurricanes making landfall in the Sunshine State, two of which were major storms when they hit land.
The Tampa Bay area suffered devastation less than two weeks apart from hurricanes Helene and Milton and recovery is ongoing. With heavy-hitting storms so close together, it can be hard to keep track of everything.
Here's what to know about the hurricanes that have made landfall in Florida in 2024.
Hurricane Debby landfall
Hurricane Debby made landfall as a Category 1 storm around 7 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2024, near Steinhatchee in Florida's Big Bend region. Debby's landfall wasn't far from where Hurricane Idalia impacted the Big Bend in 2023.
While Debby was not a direct hit for the Tampa Bay area, storm surge and excessive rainfall from the system overwhelmed wastewater treatment plants, causing at least 17 million gallons of sewage and wastewater to be discharged into Sarasota Bay.
Debby is also one of only four hurricanes to make landfall in Florida during the month of August since 2000, according to the National Hurricane Center. The other three were Charley (2005), Katrina (first landfall, 2005) and Idalia (2023).
Hurricane Helene landfall
Despite Hurricane Helene remaining 100 miles away from the Tampa Bay region, the major hurricane's effects were felt with significant storm surge battering our barrier islands and beaches.
Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane around 11:10 p.m. on Sept. 26 about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, about 40 miles north of where Debby hit.
Helene's sheer size and strength brought catastrophic flooding to parts of the South, causing widespread devastation to Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. The number of lives lost due to the storm is among the highest a hurricane has ever caused.
Hurricane Milton landfall
Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused destruction across several states, including Florida, Hurricane Milton came on the scene.
Milton reached Category 5 status and continued to waffle between a powerful Cat 5 and Cat 4 storm as it approached landfall in the very populated Tampa Bay area. Around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a strong Category 3 storm.
Heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and strong winds contributed to extensive power outages that left millions in the dark.
For those who continue to recover and rebuild after Helene and Milton, you can find resources by clicking or tapping here.
Hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30.
