On Pass-A-Grille Beach, forecasters projected 6 feet or greater of water above ground just hours before Hurricane Helene's storm surge peaked on Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service flew over the Tampa Bay area on Sunday to help document the storm damage from above. [ National Ocean Service ]

Tampa Bay residents are left picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to the area.

Four years ago, a disaster planning project called "Hurricane Phoenix" imagined what the worst-case scenario would be for a hurricane hitting Tampa. The result looks a lot like some of the forecasts for the region as Hurricane Milton approaches.