When Hurricane Helene barreled ashore last week, it caused devastating flooding across the southeastern U.S., including in the Shore Acres area of St. Petersburg, Florida. The neighborhood saw 6 feet of storm surge, which flooded roads and homes.
It was far from the first time.
Shore Acres, where roads are just 2 feet above sea level at their highest point, sits in one of the 10 ZIP codes with the greatest number of “severe repetitive loss properties.” It’s a designation used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)