Florida homes reduced to rubble from 'unstoppable' storm surge: Governor
Helene’s "fierce" and "unstoppable" storm surge has left some homes in Florida completely obliterated and "just rubble," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Saturday.
The storm surge was more than 15 feet in some spots -- much more significant than from other recent storms, he said.
Eleven people in Florida were killed from the storm, but none of the fatalities were in Taylor County, where Helene made landfall, the governor said.
He credited local officials and residents for heeding evacuation orders.
"If you had told me there was going to be 15 to 18 feet of storm surge, I would have expected multiple fatalities. The fact that there weren’t any here is a testament to the preparedness of the community," he said.