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.

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.

Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday evening with 156 mph winds pushing water inland.