Those changes may be particularly significant along the Big Bend. Its concave coastline and shallow offshore waters can funnel storm surge inland, intensifying its impacts.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend as a Category 3 storm in 2023. It brought 8 to 12 feet of storm surge to areas from Keaton Beach to Steinhatchee, according to the NHC post-storm report.

In Florida’s Big Bend, small towns bear the brunt of Helene’s impact After three hurricanes in a year, the cycle of recovery continues in hamlets along the state’s west coast.

Six coastal towns and cities on Florida’s Gulf Coast — which is especially vulnerable to storm-driven flooding — broke storm surge records during Hurricane Helene, according to data analyzed ...

As Hurricane Helene swept through Northern Florida, residents across the Big Bend area are grappling with widespread damage caused by a massive storm surge.

Helene’s storm surge flooded San Marco Island and North Fort Myers Beach in southwest Florida by 9 p.m. Thursday, about two hours before the storm slammed into Dekle Beach in the Big Bend region.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 that threatened to bring "catastrophic storm surge and life-threatening winds." ...

Damage assessments and rescue operations are underway as the brunt of the storm hit the state’s Big Bend, also the landing site for Hurricane Idalia just over a year ago.

With Helene, the threat of storm surge was the most serious along the Big Bend coast, where surges were expected to peak at 15 to 20 feet.

Hurricane Helene: Climate change is making Florida's Big Bend more vulnerable to tropical threats The topography of Florida's Gulf Coast makes it susceptible to storm surge.

And in the case of Hurricane Helene, predicted storm surge could be devastating in the coastal areas of the state's Big Bend, where the peninsula meets the Panhandle.