Historical Storm Impacts on St. Petersburg

The storms of record for St. Petersburg are the October 1921 hurricane, which all but destroyed the city pier, and the 2024 pair of Helene and Milton, which brought a record surge at the city tide gauge and 20.40 inches of rain near the city.

The harm differed by storm. Helene brought surge to St. Petersburg even though it came ashore in the Florida Big Bend, while Milton brought wind and rain, and areas north of its landfall saw water levels below normal tide levels because of offshore winds (NHC Milton report). The 1921 hurricane brought both a storm surge of up to 11 feet and damaging winds (NWS Tampa Bay).

The October 25, 1921 hurricane threw boats moored along the St. Petersburg waterfront into the docks and left the city's municipal pier all but destroyed, according to NWS Tampa Bay.

The NWS Tampa Bay 1921 hurricane page calls it the most destructive hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay Area since 1848. A storm surge of up to 11 feet damaged and destroyed structures from Pasco County south through Southwest Florida, and the office's storm statistics list a maximum surge in Tampa Bay of about 10.5 feet. Winds were estimated at 120 mph, Category 3, near the landfall point at Tarpon Springs, and the Tampa Weather Office of the day recorded a peak of 75 mph. The storm's death toll is listed at about 8.

The photographs NWS Tampa Bay gathered from the St. Petersburg Museum of History show the local damage: many coastal homes and businesses flooded in Pinellas County, vessels along the St. Petersburg waterfront partly or completely sunk, and at Pass-a-Grille the main hotel on the beach significantly damaged and the docks destroyed (NWS Tampa Bay). The St. Petersburg tide station was not established until December 14, 1946 (NOAA station 8726520).

Hurricane Helene raised water at the St. Petersburg tide gauge to 6.31 feet above mean higher high water in September 2024, the highest reading in the station's history, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Helene made landfall in the Florida Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane, yet the NHC Helene report found maximum surge inundation of 5 to 7 feet above ground level from the Anclote River southward to Longboat Key, and 5 to 7 feet within Tampa Bay. NOS tide gauges measured 6.83 feet at Old Port Tampa and 6.04 feet at Port Manatee. The St. Petersburg station holds the longest record in Tampa Bay, and Helene beat its previous high of 3.97 feet, set by Hurricane Elena in 1985, by more than 2 feet. On the Pinellas barrier islands, a USGS sensor at Madeira Beach measured 7.26 feet above mean higher high water, with waves on top.

The NHC report counts the cost in Pinellas County plainly: 12 people drowned in the surge, and Helene destroyed at least 419 homes in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties combined, with at least 18,512 structures suffering major damage (NHC).

One detail differs between federal pages. The NOAA St. Petersburg station 8726520 page lists the station as established on December 14, 1946, while the NHC report dates the station record back to 1947, and shows a maximum water level of 6.26 feet above mean higher high water on September 27, 2024, slightly below the 6.31 feet in the NHC report. Either figure puts Helene well above Elena at St. Petersburg.

Hurricane Milton brought St. Petersburg hurricane conditions, the highest storm total rainfall reported for Milton, 20.40 inches near the city, and the loss of the Tropicana Field roof in October 2024.

Milton reached Category 5 with a central pressure below 900 millibars over the Gulf, then weakened and made landfall on Siesta Key at 0030 UTC on October 10, the evening of October 9 local time, as a Category 3 hurricane with winds near 100 knots (NHC Milton report). The NHC found hurricane conditions along the coast from Clearwater Beach and Tampa southward across Sarasota to near Venice.

Rain did the widest harm. The highest storm total the NHC received was 20.40 inches at a CoCoRaHS volunteer site near St. Petersburg, and the rains caused widespread river and urban flooding, particularly in the St. Petersburg and Tampa area (NHC). The NHC names Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg as one prominent building damaged: high winds ripped off its fabric roof, followed by water damage from rain falling into the stadium.

Surge was the smaller threat this time for St. Petersburg. Because Milton came ashore south of Tampa Bay, areas north of the landfall saw water below normal tide levels from offshore winds (NHC). The NHC also notes that the coast Milton hit hardest had been struck by Helene two weeks earlier, which complicated damage assessments for the two storms.

St. Petersburg crews finished hauling 2.1 million cubic yards of storm debris after Helene and Milton, the largest volume the city has ever collected, and inspectors logged more than 12,000 damaged properties.

The City of St. Petersburg says its crews have completed the cleanup and zone inspections and that its Sanitation department has resumed regular operations and business hours (City of St. Petersburg recovery page). City building inspectors completed damage assessments after each storm and identified over 12,000 damaged properties, from flooded structures to trees falling on homes (City of St. Petersburg damage assessment). The city states that a codes case does not mean a violation, and that violations apply only if work is done without permits (City of St. Petersburg).

Rebuilding in St. Petersburg flood zones runs through FEMA's 49% rule: if repair or improvement costs exceed 49% of a property's pre-storm market value, the building must meet current elevation requirements (City of St. Petersburg). The city's permit fee waiver for Helene and Milton repairs ended July 31, 2025, and permit questions go to [email protected] or 727-893-7231. Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the City of St. Petersburg website. How the season works and how to prepare for the next storm is covered in the St. Petersburg hurricane season guide.