On Pass-A-Grille Beach, forecasters projected 6 feet or greater of water above ground just hours before Hurricane Helene's storm surge peaked on Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service flew over the Tampa Bay area on Sunday to help document the storm damage from above. [ National Ocean Service ]

Days after Hurricane Helene pummeled Tampa Bay's coastal communities with record-breaking storm surge, the region is in recovery mode. The big picture: It's safe to say Helene was the worst storm our region has experienced in a century,

Monday morning, roughly three days after the Tampa Bay region felt the historic punch of Hurricane Helene as it charged up the Gulf Coast, tens of thousands of local residents still had no electricity.