Anna Maria Island took the brunt of the damage in Manatee County, and WFLA News Channel 8 got a look at the damage on Holmes Beach with a ride along with the chief of police.

Hurricane Helene, ‘The Masked Singer’ and more in today’s edition of The Yodel newsletter One expert recommends having a "thoughtful conversation" about gun safety instead of taking the approach "that guns are bad and we shouldn't have them.

Hurricane Helene. The St. Pete Pier, Tampa Bay, Florida, hours before Hurricane Helene made landfall, September 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, bringing catastrophic storm surges which have destoyed buildings. Martha Asencio-Rhine Tampa Bay Times

The Florida Department of Transportation’s website, FL511.com, has live video streams of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and other area bridges to see Hurricane Helene. Panama City Beach: https://www.earthcam.com/usa/florida/panamacitybeach/?cam=panamacitybeach

To those who live on the narrow spit of land that is the Pass-a-Grille neighborhood — the tail end of barrier islands extending from St. Pete Beach up to Clearwater known as “The Key West of Tampa Bay beaches” — it’s a slice of paradise developed at the turn of the century and historically sheltered from major storms.