Sylvia Tzekas stayed inside her Clearwater Beach home as Hurricane Helene's storm surge rose around her on Sept. 26, 2024. Two years later, with the 2026 hurricane season underway, she said she will never make that choice again.

"The windows were shaking, the water is rising ... It's too late to leave at that point," Tzekas told Tampa Bay 28 on Sunday. She had ridden out every previous storm at home without trouble. Helene was different.

Twelve people drowned in Pinellas County's storm surge that night, according to a National Hurricane Center report cited by Tampa Bay 28. Statewide, 34 people died. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall near Perry with 140-mph winds and caused an estimated $78.7 billion in damage nationwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Tzekas said the trauma returns with each new season. She now plans to evacuate for every future storm.

Elevated homes reshape a Clearwater Beach neighborhood

Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector, walking his own Clearwater Beach neighborhood Sunday, pointed out at least a dozen homes that have been elevated since Helene to reduce flood risk. Rector said the rebuilding has changed the character of the area, with longtime residents moving on as homes are raised and rebuilt. He called it sad to lose the generational history that once defined the neighborhood.

City seeks $9.3 million in FEMA reimbursement

The city is seeking $9.3 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement for storm-related damage. Miyah McClainey, an emergency management specialist with the city, said in an Aug. 28 Tampa Bay 28 report that remaining work includes upgrades to Marshall Street and parks and recreation projects. The city also partners with Pinellas Recovers, which helps residents pay for storm damage repairs.

A quiet season brings little relief

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet. Five named storms have formed, but none reached hurricane strength, CBS News reported. A strengthening El Niño is suppressing activity. NOAA has forecast seven to 13 named storms for the season, with a below-normal year the most likely outcome.

That forecast offers little comfort to residents who lived through Helene. Tzekas said she tries not to dwell on it but cannot stop reliving the storm with October days away.

No public meetings on Clearwater's hurricane recovery have been announced. Residents who need help with storm damage repairs can visit recover.pinellas.gov for assistance through Pinellas Recovers.