Hurricane Helene caused major damage to many of the best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including one of our region's oldest dining destinations. We’ve begun compiling a list of these restaurants located on or near the water,

Guests staying at a hotel in north Sarasota were rescued by Manatee County deputies as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida Thursday night.

Officials estimated Helene was to blame for at least four deaths: A sign fell on a car killing one in Florida. A tornado killed two in Georgia. A tree fell on a home in North Carolina killing one person.