Hurricane Helene Leaves Tampa and St. Pete Assessing Damage

The Tampa Bay region faced historic flooding due to Hurricane Helene, with stormwater surging into neighborhoods and businesses late Thursday. The storm passed more than 100 miles off the coast but still caused severe damage. In St. Petersburg, city officials took emergency action, shutting down the Northeast sewer treatment plant to protect it from the unprecedented storm surge.

St. Petersburg Treatment Plant Shutdown

The shutdown of the Northeast sewer treatment plant in St. Petersburg is expected to last at least 48 hours. Residents and businesses in areas north of 30th Avenue North and east of Interstate 275 cannot flush toilets, use bathtubs, or do laundry until the plant is back online. Tampa officials have also asked residents to limit water usage, as two of the city’s wastewater plants were down due to flooding.