Pinellas County Deputies and work crews are cleaning up the barrier islands. Photos shared by PCSO show the sand and debris in the wake of Hurricane Helene. This is Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores.

Thousands of residents along the Tampa Bay area’s beachside communities were told to leave Wednesday morning as Hurricane Helene threatened potentially record-breaking surge of more than five feet. Those who defied the orders, from St. Pete Beach north to Redington Shores, told the Tampa Bay Times it’s a decision they quickly regretted.

Hurricane Helene roared across Florida's Panhandle Thursday night, making landfall near the Big Bend town of Perry at 11:10 p.m. as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. At roughly 420 miles wide,

Hurricane Helene has weakened to a tropical storm after wreaking havoc across Florida. Emergency workers are working around the clock to rescue people still trapped in floodwater. Forecasters say Hurricane Helene dropped more than a foot of rain across parts of the state and spun tornadoes that left multiple people dead.