Hurricane Helene causes Alafia River to rise in Gibsonton

GIBSONTON, Fla. (WFLA) — Locals watched as the Alafia River rose in front of the Rivers Edge Bar & Grill in Gibsonton Thursday evening.

“I’m a little concerned about how much more of the storm surge that we are going to get,” said Elizabeth Oldaker, who has lived in the Gibsonton area for 13 years. “I have never seen it come in this quickly. Just in the time that we’ve been here, it’s risen already, and we have all night to go.”

The owner of the Rivers Edge Bar & Grill said as of Thursday at 9 p.m., the river level was as high as he had ever seen it, with more storm surge and high tide expected later in the night.

In nearby Temple Terrace, concern was more about wind causing trees to fall which leads to power outages.

“We have a very robust tree canopy,” Temple Terrace city manager Carlos Baia said. “In fact, Temple Terrace is known for its trees. It’s one of the things that defines us. We’re very proud of that but when you have a lot of trees, as I think everyone knows, when there’s a wind event particularly, these limbs are vulnerable.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.