U.S. Geological Survey

Hurricane Helene ramping was barely a Category 1 despite its huge size shown in this satellite image of the greater Guf of Mexico region that shows the storm covering the entire State of Florida before it rapidly intensified into a Category 4 and made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida; however, the tropical cyclone packed a punch for days inland, destroying part of five states not including Florida and killing at least 200 people

Water Quality Report: Hurricane Helene rained 40 trillion gallons of water

Tom Bayles

Hurricane Helene dropped an unheard-of 40 trillion gallons of water, creating a water quality and quantity crisis on the ground in inland states affected by the Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida. Part One of WGCU's Water Quality Report: Hurricane Helene Special Edtion

Scenes of flooding around Fort Myers Beach

Environment

Hurricane Helene's wind and surge brought sand - and arguments - ashore

Tom Bayles

What to do with perfectly fine beach sand — once it's been cleared that it's really perfectly fine — depends on whom you talk to, and who pays

USGS scientists attach wind sensors to things they believe will still be there on Friday, as a worker is shown here doing to a pier piling during a different storm, just hours before Hurricane Helene moves into the Gulf of Mexico

Environment

USGS scientists rush to attach wave sensors to piers, seawalls, before Hurricane Helene's arrival

Tom Bayles

With little time to spare scientists with the USGS attached wave sensors on anything the agency thought might be standing after Hurricane Helene roared through

Hurricane

USGS: Hurricane Helene likely to re-shape Florida's west coast

Tom Bayles

The U.S Geological Service forecast that soon-to-be Huricane Helene is so strong it will send waves overtopping the beaches and dunes everywhere on Florida's Gulf Coast leading to a "worst-case scenario"