Families across the Tampa Bay area are feeling the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and many who cannot return home because of flooding or other damage are looking for housing assistance and resources.

As the booming region faces the possibility of a direct hit from a major hurricane, the risks from storm surge are severe.

Each major hurricane that hits Florida brings devastation and leaves lessons. Andrew in 1992 made state officials ask hard questions about Florida’s insurance market. Ian in 2022 was a cautionary tale about the power of storm surge.

Tropicana Field’s roof was shorn off. A giant craned crashed into a building. But the Tampa Bay region didn’t experience the worst-case scenario from Milton.

FORT WAYNE — Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) employees are in Florida to help more than 3 million customers left without power in the wake of Hurricane Milton. I&M has 479 employees and contractors joining Hurricane Milton restoration efforts to help Tampa Electric and Florida Power and Light restore their customers.

Wisconsin Public Service crew members are hard at work restoring power in Florida after Hurricane Milton. Last week weekend, about 25 WPS workers arrived in Tampa and got right to work. WPS crews began their work in northwest Tampa last Saturday,

Robert Freeland has lived in Tampa’s Forest Hills neighborhood for 50 years. He remembers just one flood that brought waters as high as Milton. In May 1979, an unnamed spring storm whipped up 108 mph winds.