A Cuban resident captured stunning footage of severe flooding around his condominium in Tampa, Hillsborough County, where vehicles were seen floating and ground-floor residents had to seek refuge on higher floors.
The images, shared on Instagram by influencer Marti To Durako, included audio from another affected individual who described his efforts to retrieve a gold chain from his submerged car. Another video documented residents being evacuated in inflatable boats.
In response to a query about the exact location, a user commented that the condominium is situated on Kelly Street and Memorial.
On Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, the Tampa Bay area experienced significant flooding and damage as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. Despite making landfall in the northern part of the state, the entire west coast was subjected to torrential rains, strong winds, and widespread flooding.
One particularly striking image shared on social media showed a man using a kayak in his completely flooded living room. Other unsettling images depicted the area around Tampa General Hospital, which had been meticulously sealed to prevent water intrusion.
Rescue Operations in Tampa
Tragically, the only fatality in Florida due to Helene occurred in Tampa when a power pole fell on a moving vehicle, as reported by the Florida Highway Patrol. The severe flooding prompted Tampa Bay emergency teams to begin rescue operations.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced that authorities had been responding to numerous emergency calls, particularly from Davis Island, with nearly 200 calls received since 2 a.m., according to local media. By 6 a.m., 87 rescues had been conducted, saving 47 people and eight dogs using four Jon Boats. Tampa Police Sergeant Rose Angelakopoulos provided an update in Spanish regarding Helene's impacts on the city.
Mayor Castor also reported that 74,000 households remained without power, with about 80 power lines down. She urged residents with electricity to take extra precautions and avoid unnecessary travel.
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in the Big Bend region of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, bringing "catastrophic" storm surges and extremely dangerous winds. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States reported that the storm's eye entered at 11:10 p.m. about 40 miles from Tallahassee, the state capital, just east of the Aucilla River's mouth and around 10 miles from the rural town of Perry.
After intensifying over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Helene struck with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h). In recent hours, Helene, which has resulted in five temporary fatalities across four states, has weakened to a tropical storm.