Did Hurricane Helene set a Manatee County record for storm surge? See latest numbers
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Hurricane Helene 2024
Hurricane Helene is projected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and possible floods to Manatee County and Florida’s Big Bend region. Forecasts, as of September 25, project Helene will strike Florida Thursday evening, September 26, and head north through parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina into Friday.
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Hurricane Helene set a storm surge record when it ravaged Manatee County on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary totals.
The Category 4 storm left devastating flooding on Anna Maria Island and other county areas, before making direct landfall near Perry, Florida.
A reported storm surge of 6.04 feet was measured at Port Manatee, breaking the previous site record of 3.69 feet during Hurricane Idalia in 2023.
“It surpassed by quite a good margin,” NWS Ruskin meteorologist Tony Hurt said.
The average storm surge was between 3 and 6 feet for the county. That was a key factor compared to Hurricane Debby in August, which brought a deluge of rain to the area. Helene saw 2 to 3 inches of rain on average in the county, with the highest recorded total at 3.25 inches near DeSoto Lakes.
Meanwhile, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport had the highest wind gusts recorded, according to preliminary numbers.
SRQ saw a 74-mile-per-hour wind gust at 7:19 p.m. Wind speeds averaged between 50 to 60 miles per hour, with some areas getting gusts higher than 60 miles per hour, Hurt said.
Official totals from the storm won’t be known for several days, NWS said.
