The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Clearwater saved a man and his dog Thursday after his 36-foot sailboat was disabled during Hurricane Helene and took on water about 25 miles off Sanibel Island. (U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater)
Lee County Sheriff’s deputies dispatch a rescue boat to search for people trapped by floodwaters by Hurricane Helene in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
As communities across Florida assess the wind and water damage caused overnight by Helene’s catastrophic storm surge and strong winds, the death toll has climbed to at least 25 and authorities in several Southeast states warn it will likely go higher.
The Associated Press lists 25 fatalities from the storm so far, while The New York Times reports at least 24 deaths as of Friday afternoon.
Pinellas County in the Tampa-St. Pete metro reported five people died, at least two by drowning, in coastal communities. Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff, said in a news conference on Friday morning that two of the victims were found on Treasure Island, two in Indian Rocks Beach and one in Dunedin. Hundreds of rescues were made by police and fire crews across the Tampa region overnight.
The Times reported seven deaths have been confirmed in Florida. One person was killed in Dixie County, about two hours southeast of Tallahassee, when a tree fell on a house, Gov. Ron De Santis said.
A Honda Odyssey was struck by a falling freeway sign Thursday night near 21st Street on Interstate 4, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A Honda Odyssey, driven by a 61-year-old Gibsonton man was westbound with three passengers. A 23-year-old man, also from Gibsonton, suffered fatal injuries in the accident. The driver and other passengers were not hurt.