Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene “spared” the Tampa Bay region a direct hit and yet storm surge still caused catastrophic damage, flooding homes, drowning people who decided to stay near the coast and leaving massive piles of debris that still sit along roadsides.

With reverse storm surge, especially in larger storms, the opposite happens, explained AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok in 2022, after Ian hit. “It can pull the water out because the wind flow is coming from land to ocean, and it pushes the water,” he said. “The power of the wind is incredible.”

On one side, Dustin Pasteur, vice president of Facilities and Construction, can be seen inspecting a 10-foot high section of the “AquaFence.” On the other, floodwaters from Hillsborough Bay lapped against the barrier. The surge from the storm reached seven feet.