▶ Watch Video: What travelers can expect as Hurricane Helene nears Florida
Hurricane Helene was moving over the eastern Gulf of Mexico early Thursday morning, heading for what the National Hurricane Center said would be landfall over the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening or early Friday morning. After landfall, the Miami-based center said, Helene is “expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday.”
Helene was strengthening over the Gulf’s warm waters and had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, making it a Category 2 hurricane as of Thursday morning, according to the hurricane center.
A map from the center shows Hurricane Helene going north through the Florida Panhandle on Thursday night. Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, is at or near the center of the forecast path.
“Strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast,” the hurricane center said. ” … Weakening is expected after landfall, but Helene’s fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.”
A hurricane is considered major when its winds hit 111 mph, making it a Category 3 storm.
The growing storm was being steered by two pressure systems fueled by record-warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Water Service warned in a post on X that a “catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves. There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so.”
Hurricane warnings were in effect between the Anaclote River and Mexico Beach, Florida. Storm surge warnings have been issued for parts of Florida, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane watches are in effect for parts of Florida, and tropical storm warnings and watches also remain in effect for parts of Florida and Cuba.
But areas outside the hurricane’s direct path will feel impacts from the storm, as well.
“It’s not just about the center and the cone. This is a large system with wide-reaching effects,” The Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams said Wednesday morning.
Remainders of the storm are forecast to pass through Alabama and Georgia on Friday morning, passing over Huntsville and Atlanta, before continuing north through Tennessee and into the Midwest through the weekend.
Strong winds are forecast to hit the Florida Panhandle on Thursday morning, with the storm expected to weaken as it heads into Georgia throughout the day. Parts of the Southeast, including the Carolinas, could still see tropical storm-force winds as the system continues moving inland, however.
Many areas are forecast to see dangerous storm surges, especially between Panama City and Tampa. The coast stretching from Carabelle to the Suwanee River could see 15-20 feet of storm surge. Areas to the east and west of that stretch may get a surge between 10 and 15 feet. The Tampa Bay area is forecast to experience between 5 and 8 feet of storm surge.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Know Your Zone map enables residents to input their address and learn their evacuation route in case of flooding or other disaster.
“Over portions of the Southeastern U.S. into the Southern Appalachians, Helene is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6 to 12 inches with isolated totals around 18 inches,” the hurricane center said. “This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians.”
Gusty squalls will sweep across Florida through Wednesday and Thursday, potentially bringing with them heavy rain, strong winds and a brief tornado, according to CBS Miami.
Live radar map of Hurricane Helene
CBS Miami’s live radar map shows the current location and rainfall impacts of Hurricane Helene.