produced significant wave heights of at West Palm Beach and at Jacksonville, along the Atlantic coast of Florida, by August 31. Outer rainbands of the large hurricane produced squally weather over parts of northern Florida as early as the morning of August 30. By then, the low-lying coastline near Apalachicola already began to flood. Elena would continue to affect the state for several days as it meandered offshore, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall. Upwards of accumulated in many locations, peaking at near Cross City and reaching at Apalachicola. Farther south in the Tampa area, the precipitation was less significant, exceeding at Clearwater. Parts of the state's northeastern coast—farther away from the hurricane's center—also saw formidable rainfall, with a local maximum of at Jacksonville. Still, those totals represented a relatively dry storm, considering its long duration. Despite initial hopes that the hurricane would help alleviate drought conditions across interior portions of southern Florida, precipitation there was generally inconsequential. Storm-heightened tides extended along the Florida coast as far south as Sarasota and generally ran a modest above normal, though their duration and extent proved noteworthy. The highest recorded storm surge associated with the hurricane was at Apalachicola. The combination of raised water levels and strong waves resulted in severe erosion along many beaches. Many homes near the water were destroyed by the surge, and shoreline structures such as docks, causeways, bridges, low-lying roads, and seawalls sustained substantial damage. Several large fishing piers were either partially or totally destroyed; notably, the city pier at Cedar Key and the popular Big Indian Rocks Fishing Pier were both demolished by the hurricane. Debris from the Big Indian Rocks Fishing Pier drifted northward toward Clearwater Pass and accumulated along private beaches at Belleair Shore. The storm's strongest winds remained largely over open waters, although severe gusts still brushed coastal cities and barrier islands. The strongest winds were observed in two areas of the coast: from Cedar Key to Clearwater, and from Apalachicola to Pensacola. Official gust reports included at Cedar Key and nearly at Clearwater; later, on September 2, a gust of was observed at Pensacola along the Florida Panhandle, with sustained winds exceeding . Winds in Franklin County approached by unofficial estimates. The storm's effects were not limited to the shore, however, as fallen trees in the inland Tallahassee area damaged around 50 vehicles. Although Hurricane Elena never crossed Florida's coast, its drawn-out interaction