Hurricane Helene made landfall around 11:10 p.m. Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm near the mouth of the Aucilla River in Florida’s Big Bend region. Coming ashore nearly 20 miles northwest of where Hurricane Idalia made landfall last year, Helen had sustained winds estimated at 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Southwest Florida dealt with the effects of Helene’s outer bands throughout the day on Sept. 26. In Lee County, the Matanzas Pass Bridge in Fort Myers Beach was closed due to severe flooding, while McGregor Boulevard between Port Comfort Road and the Sanibel Toll Plaza was closed. All roads on Cape Coral Parkway between the Cape Coral Bridge and Palm Tree Boulevard were deemed impassable. Due to heavy flooding in downtown Fort Myers, the Edison Bridge was closed in all directions. In Charlotte County, all roads in downtown Punta Gorda were closed. In addition, the northbound U.S. 41 bridge over the Peace River was closed due to road flooding.