09.25.2024

Today’s Forecast

👀 Helene Watch: What to know

Hurricane Helene info in Tampa Bay

This map shows the water levels along Florida’s west coast due to Helene; Tampa Bay could see a peak surge between 5 and 8 ft. | Map via National Hurricane Center

You know the drill, Tampa Bay.

Tropical Storm Helene is on its way, expected to strengthen into a hurricane today as it makes its way through the northeastern Gulf Coast and drenches Florida’s west coast, including Tampa Bay. We’ve rounded up resources to keep you safe during the storm.

Tracking Helene

Keep an eye on Helene’s progress through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center. Here, you’ll find current weather warnings and info on wind speeds, the storm surge, rainfall, and flash flooding. The key messages tool features the latest updates, too.

TBAY Helene Weather GIF — Helene is coming.
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Video via WTSP + Giphy

Preparing for Helene

Gov. Ron DeSantis has placed Hillsborough, Pinellas, and 35+ other counties under a state of emergency during Helene. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also issued an executive order and advised residents to prepare themselves for the storm.

Some tips:

Tampa is offering up to 10 free sandbags to locals, available for pickup today, Sept. 25, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., at Himes Ave Complex, Al Barnes Park + Al Lopez Park. Bring your ID.
St. Pete is offering sandbags from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at places like Dell Homes Park and the Lake Maggiore Park shelter area.
Sign up for Alert Tampa, the city’s emergency alerts system, and Alert Pinellas if you’re in Pinellas County.
Make a family plan + build a basic disaster supply kit.
Counties have started issuing mandatory evacuations — more could be added as the storm progresses.
Keep an eye on emergency shelters in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

A map showing an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow) as they pertain to Tropical Storm Helene impacting west Florida. — This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow).
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Map via National Hurricane Center

Outages

Keep Tampa Electric’s outage map handy and sign up for outage notifications. Duke Energy is also tracking outages via this map.

More emergency resources

Stay connected:

Keep tabs on Tampa’s Reported Street Flooding — it’s best not to drive at all during the storm.
American Red Cross: (863) 294-5941
Citizens Information Line: (833) 872-4636
United Way Information: 211 or (888) 370-7188
NOAA Radio Broadcast Channels: 162.500 & 162.550 MHz

We’ll be keeping close watch on Helene and provide updates in our newsletters.

Events

Wednesday, Sept. 25

The Haunted Hotel Escape Room | Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 4-9 p.m. | The Great Escape Room St. Pete | $35 | This mystery game revolves around Bess Houdini as she tries to contact her late husband, Harry Houdini, via seance.

Thursday, Sept. 26

Ray LaMontagne | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m. | Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg | $53+ | The Grammy Award-winning musician finds his way to our area to perform his “Long Way Home Tour.”
Hootie & the Blowfish | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m. | MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa | $55+ | The rockers known for hits like “Only Wanna Be with You” and “Let Her Cry” headline.

Friday, Sept. 27

Tampa Bay Boat Show | Friday, Sept. 27-Sunday, Sept. 29 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Florida State Fairgrounds | Free | Ahoy — the largest boating event in the Tampa Bay area will showcase local boat dealers and manufacturers from yachts and cruisers, to kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators | Friday, Sept. 27 | 7 p.m. | Amalie Arena, Tampa | $40+ | Catch a little preseason hockey — it’s the TBAY way.

Saturday, Sept. 28

3rd Annual Tampa Bay Black Authors Expo | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, Tampa | Free | Enjoy workshops, entertainment, and food while celebrating authors from the TBAY area and beyond.
Vibes of the Bay | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 4-11 p.m. | Crowbar Ybor City, Tampa | $10 | Get in tune with the local indie music scene at this fest featuring acts like Discord Theory, Geri X, Johnny Champagne, and T. Couture.

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled, changed, or postponed due to inclement weather.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Closing

Goodbye, Goody Goody. The iconic burger + breakfast spot in Hyde Park will close on Sunday, Sept. 29 — offering a limited menu this week from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. so locals can grab a final meal. The Goody Goody location at Tampa International Airport will remain open.

Real Estate

Residents have started moving into Reflection, the 200-ft tall Mirror Lake condo tower on 3rd Avenue North in downtown St. Petersburg. The 18-story building features 88 condos, a rooftop pool, an entertainment area, retail space, and six floors of parking. About 15 units are on sale, starting in the mid-$800,000s. (St. Pete Rising)

Edu

Now, that’s how you make the grade. The University of South Florida was named No. 45 among US News & World Report’s 2025 Top Public Colleges & Universities. This is the university’s sixth consecutive year making the top 50 rankings.

Environment

This is worth shell-ebrating: Over the past six months, Pinellas County restaurants have collected 20,000 pounds of recycled oyster shells, which will be used to create oyster reefs + help restore local marine habitats. The efforts are part of the Oyster Shell Recycling Pilot Program. (I Love the Burg)

Read

“For God, Glory, and Gold: Spanish Exploration of la Florida and the Mainland” is the latest book by local author James E. MacDougald. The 62-page book chronicles the exploration of our state’s Gulf Coast from 1513 to 1543 — a history that MacDougald believes can help attract local tourism. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Plan Ahead

The former Tampa Bay Hotel will host its Eerie Evening events during the final two weekends of October, allowing guests to explore the Henry B. Plant Museum. Expect flickering candles, period artifacts, and maybe the ghostly presence of Edgar Allan Poe as you wander through the 13 rooms. Tickets cost $20-$25.

Sports

Be the thunder — it’s time for a Tampa Bay Lightning preseason primer. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Lightning with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Finance

Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? (Yes, it sounds pumpkin-spice bananas. But it’s true.) The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. Here are hands down some of the best.*

Number

$204. That’s a real flight deal from Tampa International to Hawaii this year. Sign up for Going’s Premium plan + never miss a great deal again.*

Eat

💭 Food for thought

Come on, dish: Which Tampa Bay restaurant do you miss the most?

A plate of eggs, steak, and potatoes covered in sauce.

Short Rib Biscuit Benedict from Datz. | Photo by Datz Marketing Team

We have some amazing restaurants in our area, and we love highlighting new culinary gems at TBAYtoday. But there have also been so many great, local restaurants that have closed over the years (Datz, we miss you) — and sometimes, we get a little hankering for a meal from a place that no longer exists. Sigh.

This got us thinking about the local restaurants from yesteryear that make our readers feel that same nostalgia — the spots that would be your go-to choices for dining out if they were still around.

Personally, if we had a time machine, we’d head straight to Ichicoro Ramen for a perfect bowl of Tonkotsu or A Friend Who Bakes for those unforgettable cinnamon rolls and never look back. Also, we already miss the burgers at Goody Goody — that one will be hard to get over.

OK, your turn. Which Tampa Bay restaurant or meal would you give anything to eat one more time? Let us know and we may feature you in an upcoming newsletter.

Asked

Which local restaurant do you miss the most?

We want to hear your local memories.

Come on, dish

The Buy

Shop the best shoes to pair with your fall wedding guest look, from Nordstrom’s “Wedding Guest” selection:

🥿 Save your ankles with sparkly Betsey Johnson flats.
👡 Choose champagne or silver for this five-star rated sandal.
💎 Add a touch of sparkle to your outfit with jeweled slingbacks.
👠 Go for style + function with a kitten heel on pointy-toe pumps.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Monica

From the editor

Hi, TBAY. My name is Monica — I’m an editor with 6AM City’s national team, happily working with Bailey + Patrick this week. We hope you’re staying safe amid this storm; stay in the know with live updates.

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