Clearwater Beach access closed ‘until further notice’ after Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene

The then-Category 4 storm brushed past the Tampa Bay area, bringing rainfall, strong winds and feet of storm surge to the area.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater Beach won’t be accessible “until further notice” after Hurricane Helene impacted the area with feet of storm surge, city officials said.

Several feet of water inundated the barrier island roads, businesses and homes on Clearwater Beach. While water levels are expected to recede, officials say a lot of debris will still be on the roads, making it unsafe to travel to and around the area.

The debris will need to be completely removed before Clearwater Beach will be reopened safely, the city said. The bridges to the barrier islands are still closed and until they reopen, no one will be allowed to access the beach.

RELATED: Coast Guard rescues man and his dog in the Gulf of Mexico amid Hurricane Helene impacts

City leaders say first responders late Thursday and early Friday made multiple high-water rescues of people from homes on the beach and mainland.

Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday as a strong Category 4 storm along Florida’s Big Bend region. It downgraded to a tropical storm as of Friday morning. While Helene was more than 100 miles away from land as it passed the Tampa Bay area, the massive hurricane still brought feet of storm surge, strong winds and heavy rain.

RELATED: STORM SURGE: Hurricane Helene breaks several storm surge records across Tampa Bay

Several storm surge records were broken as Helene impacted the area.

0
Comments on this article
0
On AirMy Magic 94.9 - Tampa Bay's Best Music Logo

mobile apps

Everything you love about mymagic949.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!