'We lost most of our belongings': Hurricane Helene hammers Kyle Rudolph's home

Rudolph lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, which suffered its worst hit from a storm in more than a century.

Feb 9, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, US; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kyle Rudolph poses for a photo on the red carpet before the NFL Honors award show at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kyle Rudolph and his family are in recovery mode after their home was pulverized with storm surge from Hurricane Helene last week.

"This past week, our family experienced the impact of Helene's storm surge, which flooded our home in Tampa. While we lost most of our belongings, including many of our kids’ things, we’ve come away from this experience feeling incredibly fortunate," Rudolph said Friday.

Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that slammed the Florida panhandle and delivered intense storm surge on the right quadrant of the spinning tropical beast , left parts of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg devastated. The death toll in Tampa Bay is 12 and more than a thousand people were rescued while tens of thousands saw their homes impacts.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, storm surge from Helene brought water along the coast 6-10 feet higher than normal. It's being called the worst storm to hit Tampa in 100 years. For the Rudolphs, they're grateful for the support provided by their community.

"The outpouring of support from our friends and the Tampa community has been nothing short of amazing. From people showing up to help, to toys and games for the kids, to the many messages and prayers, we’ve been deeply touched by the kindness and generosity around us," Rudolph said.

"In times like these you realize the true strength of the people around you. We are so thankful for everyone who has reached out or offered a helping hand. Tampa has more than validated our decision to make it our home and we are forever grateful for this community of people!"

Videos posted to Instagram on Friday by Rudolph showed some of the destruction on Davis Island, which is located south of Tampa on Hillsborough Bay.

Rudolph, who suited up for the Vikings from 2011 to 2020, played for the New York Giants in 2021 before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.

He isn't the only former Viking to be severely impacted by a hurricane in Florida. In 2022 Hurricane Ian pulverized Florida and destroyed former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman's home. He lost 31 game balls from his NFL career along with cars and other belongings.