Hurricane Helene : Potentially Catastrophic Storm on Collision Course with Florida Coast
The American Hurricane Center predicts Helene will make landfall in northern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with a “deadly” storm surge up to 20 feet. The National Hurricane Center is now calling for Helene, which reached hurricane strength Wednesday morning, to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm before making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday.
Forecasters warned that the powerful and unusually large storm could bring “catastrophic” impacts from storm surge, wind and flooding in Florida and other parts of the southeastern United States as it moves swiftly inland through Friday.
The National Hurricane Center warned of a “catastrophic and deadly” storm surge in Florida’s Big Bend area “that could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level.” It also cautioned the surge could be life-threatening along the entire west coast of Florida’s peninsula. The surge in Tampa Bay was predicted to reach 5 to 8 feet high, which could break records.
According to the Hurricane Center, “potentially catastrophic winds” with gusts up to 130 mph are also possible in the Big Bend area, where the storm is predicted to make landfall Thursday evening. Several major Florida cities, such as Tampa, Gainesville and Tallahassee, could see gusts over 70 mph.
“Damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds, especially in gusts, will penetrate well inland over portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia late Thursday and Thursday night,” the Hurricane Center wrote.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency in 61 of the state’s 67 counties ahead of the storm; only six counties in southeastern Florida were not included. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for part or all of at least 26 counties between the panhandle and the peninsula’s west coast. Florida State University in Tallahassee said it will close its campus through Sunday, among other school closures in the state.
