A look at disaster response needs one year after Hurricane Helene

Located in what's often called hurricane alley, the Sunshine State is no stranger to natural disasters. But each storm is unique and tests emergency management capabilities in different ways.

Hurricane Helene was no exception and roared across the Florida Big Bend in late September 2024.

That hurricane was a Category 4 cyclone with sustained winds of 140 mph at the time of landfall, making it the strongest hurricane to impact the Big Bend in modern history.

And while damage was significant, the hurricane's fast forward speed ensured that damaging wind gusts and torrential rainfall impacted communities from the Gulf Coast through the Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley.

In Florida, the storm surge was historic, inundating much of the Gulf Coast from the Big Bend southward into Charlot