TEQUESTA, Fla. — South Florida may have avoided a direct hit from Hurricane Helene, but the impacts were still felt up and down the coastline.
The storm created high surf leading to serious trouble with rip currents and even erosion in parts of the Treasure Coast.
But Friday and Saturday, the impacts were felt in the form of heat and humidity.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday was the ninth day of September where there was a heat advisory in Palm Beach County. It’s the first year there were heat advisories in the month of September since they started tracking in 2009.
The reason for another heat advisory this time? Hurricane Helene.
“This weekend, we’re actually still going to feel the impacts from what was Hurricane Helene,” said WPTV First Alert Meteorologist Frances Peyton. “So, we’re left with a lot of tropical moisture in play so we have a lot of heat and humidity and that’s why we have a heat advisory in effect.”
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Besides high heat, Peyton said we should also expect high rip current risk all along the east and west coast of Florida, all from the effects of Hurricane Helene.
“Although Helene is not even close to our maps here at home, it’s amazing how extensive this is and we’re going to feel that impact over the weekend,” Peyton said.
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While at Coral Cove Park in Tequesta Saturday morning, WPTV Reporter Briana Nespral saw plenty of surfers in the water.
“This time of the year, it’s so nice to be on the water because it is so hot,” said beach-goer Leslie Davies. “It’s gotten a bit more crowded up here lately.”
But what was not seen from Hurricane Helene’s power was beachfront erosion. It seems the county’s newly restored dunes from 2022 stayed relatively untouched.
“I think we dodged a bullet here,” another beach-goer said. “We didn’t see too much of it. Years have gone by, and we’ve seen a lot worse.”
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