6 People Were Found Dead In The Tampa Bay Area After Hurricane Helene

It's so devastating hearing the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. As I went to bed last night I did not think it was much going on. When I woke up and started watching the news, I realized that the impact was much greater than I thought. When me and my partner left our hotel, we went to our homes. He lives in Tampa and his home was flooded which caused him to lose everything. I live in St. Petersburg and my living room was flooded. While we are sad, it could have been much worse. 6 people were found dead in the Tampa Bay Area After Hurricane Helene. Things can be replaced, lives cannot.

According to Weather.com , 28 people are dead in four states after Hurricane Helene. 11 deaths happened in Georgia, 8 in South Carolina, 2 in North Carolina and 7 in Florida. 5 of those seven deaths in Florida happened in Pinellas County and 1 of them happened in Hillsborough County. The death in Hillsborough County was reported last night after an overheard sign fell on a car in Ybor. 2 of the deaths that happened in Pinellas County were drownings. The other 3 are still being investigated. The 7th death that happened in Florida took place in Dixie County where Hurricane Helene made landfall. Praying for the victims families at this time. If you know any of the families and have their GoFundme information, feel free to email me Babs@wild941.com.

How are you and your family holding up? I notice that there were areas that didn't really get any damage in the Tampa Bay area. If you live in one of those areas, consider yourselves lucky. To those who lost everything , I am so sorry. If you need anything, please email me at the address above.

Tampa Bay wakes up grateful that the worst of Hurricane Helene missed us. While some are suffering from power outages and fallen trees, many people and businesses in the community are working hard to open back up. Here's what we've seen open in Tampa Bay (so far). To be sure, call the business location near you to make sure they are still open.

Hurricane Helene has made landfall in Taylor Co, Florida about 10 miles WSW of Perry, FL as a Category 4 with winds of 140 mph.

Please only leave if evacuation orders in your county have been lifted. Officials have asked residents to not attempt to drive through the high waters. If you MUST leave your shelter, drive slowly and be alert on the roadways. Make a full stop at any broken stoplights to avoid any accidents. 

Tampa Bay has seen some effects of storm surge in parts of Tampa, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, St. Pete and more. Many businesses have decided to stay closed today due to flooded streets. Some have opened to provide hot meals to those without power. Here's what we know is opened and closed in Tampa Bay for Friday, September 27. We will keep this post updated as we learn if more places have opened.

As of 9:30am, the westbound lanes of the Gandy bridge has reopened. Eastbound lanes are still closed. As of 12pm, southbound lanes of the Howard Frankland are open, north bound lanes are still closed. Other major Tampa Bay Bridges such as the Courtney Campbell, Bridges to barrier islands still remain closed as well. Northbound lanes of the Sunshine Skyway (Manatee to Pinellas County) is now open. The SB Skyway Bridge (Pinellas to Manatee County) will remain closed until debris clearing and damage assessment is complete. Updates will be provided once they become available.

As of 9:40am, Tampa International Airport has reopened to the public.

St. Pete-Clearwater airport also  remains closed on Friday but plans to reopen after assessment. It's still recommended to check with your airline for latest flight information. 

Most Publix locations will be closed today. Check out the store locator map to see which location is open near you. Be sure to call the store before you leave to confirm.

According to Google, some Tampa Bay area Aldi locations are open today, including Westchase, Oldsmar, New Tampa and Carrollwood. Be sure to call your local store to confirm. Google lists that stores like Target and Walmart are also open today.

Hillsborough County- Closed Friday, September 27.
Pinellas County - Closed Friday, September 27.
Polk County - Closed Friday, September 27. Polk State College will be closed Thursday and Friday.
Pasco County - Closed Friday, September 27.
Sarasota County - Closed Friday, September 27.
Citrus County - Closed Friday, September 27.
Desoto County - No decision made at this time
Hernando County- Closed Friday, September 27.
Highlands County- School and extracurriculars will resume on Friday, September 27 as normal. 
Manatee County- Closed Friday, September 27.

Select gas stations such as: Speedway, 7-Eleven, Wawa, and Marathon gas stations are open. Be sure to call the location near you before you leave!

You know if they can, they'll be open. We've been told multiple locations are open across Tampa. Call the store near you before you leave to be sure!