In Clearwater, one of the hardest-hit regions, water levels surged to a record 8.6 feet, eclipsing the previous high of 6.8 feet. Similarly, in East Bay, levels peaked at 7.3 feet, surpassing the old record of 6.7 feet.

Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday along the sparsely populated Big Bend section of Florida’s Gulf Coast as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. It could bring devastation to an area that has already been battered by two previous hurricanes, even as the state’s capital city may escape the worst.