Thirteen days brought us two storms and countless lessons. Whether it was a clearer understanding of your home’s flood risk, a preferred hurricane snack or the importance of friends and family, Tampa Bay’s experience with Helene and Milton taught each of us something new. Ahead of the start of the new hurricane season June 1, we asked Tampa Bay Times readers to share the most important lessons they learned last year. The responses, taken together, underscore a community that has emerged from the other side of repeated natural disasters wiser, stronger and more gracious to those around them. What lessons did you learn? Here’s what you had to say.
Fending off floods
The big Lowe’s buckets that are $5/piece are a cheap way to raise furniture. The big vacuum seal bags are great for storing clothes and keeping them dry.
Vulnerability to storms
We had been flooded twice before, but never expected anything this serious — 31 inches of bay water in our home. Everything ruined. I knew climate change was encroaching, but never expected it to be so dramatic so fast.
The mental toll
My biggest lesson was that I tried to keep working throughout. Afterwards, I realized that the stress of the storms had really impacted me. I realized later that I should have taken off some time to recover, but I tried to keep working and my work suffered because of the stress.
Generators
Tips and tricks
1. Take a weekend at the end of June to restock/purchase what you need for a hurricane so you’re not scrambling at the same time as everyone else.
Sticking together
The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida’s most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by clicking here . More hurricanes are slamming the Gulf Coast. Is this the new normal? Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here’s where to look .
Checklists for building all kinds of storm kits.
