Tampa's South West Shore neighborhood sees record storm surge from Helene

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Updated  September 30, 2024 5:24pm EDT
FOX 13 News
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Tampa's South West Shore neighborhood sees record storm surge from Helene

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Piles of debris sit on many of the curbs throughout the South West Shore area of Tampa after Hurricane Helene brought record storm surge to the neighborhood. 

"Twenty-five years, never seen anything like this. Never," longtime resident Michael Marciniak said.

Last week, Michael and Christine Marciniak followed Hillsborough County's mandatory evacuation orders for their neighborhood, which is in Zone A, and evacuated to the Lakeland area. After Helene passed, they came back to find about three feet of water had flooded their home. 

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"It's just a wreck," Michael Marciniak said. "Everything is a loss."

FOX 13 meteorologists estimate storm surge reached about seven feet in this area. The couple ended up having to throw away many of their belongings, including their couch, nightstands and refrigerator. 

"We just got to try and figure out what to do next. You know, we're just doing what's right in front of us, because I can't even think as far as tomorrow right now. But, we'll get through this. We see that it’s not [just] us," Michael Marciniak said. 

MORE: 'I'm completely overwhelmed:' Manatee, Sarasota counties trying to move forward post Hurricane Helene

Outdoor Accents of Florida, a plant shop on South West Shore Boulevard, suffered damage, too.

"It was unrecognizable," said Suzanne Roche, the manager of Outdoor Accents of Florida, of the damage. "We really could not believe it."

Floodwaters smashed the plant shop’s glass window, damaging planters and garden decor inside the shop. 

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"And really, when you first see it, you just can't comprehend that kind of damage that fast," Roche said. 

They’re also hoping the plants and flowers in their garden center will survive. 

"Sometimes it's wait and see what happens there, because when the saltwater hits it, you really don't know at first," Roche said. 

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