(This story was updated to add new information.)
Tropical Storm Helene formed Tuesday in the Caribbean Sea as hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for portions of Florida. Helene is expected to rapidly strengthen once it moves over the Gulf of Mexico and could hit Florida as a major Category 3 hurricane.
Helene is forecast to intensify and be near hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea early Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with hurricane conditions possible.
The storm is expected to rapidly intensify over the Gulf of Mexico and be a major hurricane when it approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida potentially late Thursday.
The risk of impacts from life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds continues to increase along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast.
Due to the forecast large size of this system, storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts will extend well away from the center, particularly on the east side, the NHC said.
Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of Florida.
More mandatory evacuations ordered for Florida counties
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for:
Charlotte County: Evacuations have been ordered for barrier islands, low-lying and flood prone areas, manufactured homes, and homes that don’t meet 1995 building codes.
Franklin County: Due to the projected track and intensity of Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, Franklin County will be issuing a mandatory evacuation for all barrier islands (St. George Island, Dog Island, Bald Point, and Alligator Point), low-lying and flood-prone areas especially along the coast and rivers, mobile homes, and RV parks effective 12:00 PM, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Additional evacuations may be issued at a later time.
Gulf County: 09/24/24 1000 hours – All non-residents and all Recreational Vehicles (RV’s) in Indian Pass, Cape San Blas, & Simmons Bayou MUST be evacuated by 8:00 AM Wednesday (09/25)
Pinellas County: Mandatory Evacuation Order only for our long-term healthcare residential facilities, which includes hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities that or in Zone A.
Wakulla County: ALL EVACUATION ZONES IN WAKULLA COUNTY ARE UNDER A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER 🚨 On September 24, 2024, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners issued a countywide mandatory evacuation for citizens and visitors by no later than 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Voluntary evacuation have been recommended for Gadsden County, Jefferson County.
Tropical Storm Helene organizing in Caribbean Sea
Tropical Storm Helene has been wobbling a bit now that a well-defined center has formed, but the longer-term motion is toward the west-northwest near 12 mph, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
A turn toward the northwest is expected later today.
A northward to north-northeastward motion at a faster forward speed is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of Helene will move across the far northwestern Caribbean Sea to near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico through tonight, and then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday and Thursday, potentially reaching the Gulf coast of Florida late Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts.
Strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday. Continued strengthening is anticipated after that time, and Helene could become a major hurricane on Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles to the east of the center.
Jim Cantore in Florida
Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore is in Florida ahead of Helene’s expected Thursday arrival.
According to a post on X, Cantore is Port Richey, a suburb of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
Mandatory evacuations ordered for Charlotte County and Franklin County
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for:
Charlotte County: Evacuations have been ordered for barrier islands, low-lying and flood prone areas, manufactured homes, and homes that don’t meet 1995 building codes.
Franklin County: Due to the projected track and intensity of Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, Franklin County will be issuing a mandatory evacuation for all barrier islands (St. George Island, Dog Island, Bald Point, and Alligator Point), low-lying and flood-prone areas especially along the coast and rivers, mobile homes, and RV parks effective 12:00 PM, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Additional evacuations may be issued at a later time.
Voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for Gadsden County.
Preparing for hurricane: What should be in your emergency kit
A basic emergency kit should include:
Water, one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. And don’t forget your pets.
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert.
Flashlight.
Medical supplies, including a first aid kit, two-week supply of prescriptions, hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc.
Extra batteries.
Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.
Manual can opener.
Cash. Banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods.
Important documents in a waterproof container.
Gasoline for your car and generator, stored in proper containers
Fire extinguisher.
Need to prepare for a hurricane? Here’s what you should have in a disaster supply kit
DeSantis urges Florida residents to prepare
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Floridians should prepare for a potential major hurricane after he expanded his state of emergency declaration from 41 to 67 counties Tuesday.
“Right now you do have time, so take advantage of that time,” DeSantis said. “Review your plan and make sure you’re executing your hurricane preparedness plan.”
“Don’t get wedded to these cones. You could be out of the cone and still have major impacts.”
Tropical Storm Helene, now formed, is projected to intensify. As always, Florida will prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
We already have nearly 18,000 linemen staged (and more en route), and are ready with search and rescue and roadway clearing crews.
Stay tuned to… pic.twitter.com/lJI5miDkvN
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 24, 2024
Florida watches and warnings issued ahead of potential Hurricane Helene
A hurricane watch is in effect for:
Englewood to Indian Pass
Tampa Bay
A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds.
Storm surge watch issued for:
A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.
Tropical storm warning for:
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 36 hours.
Tropical storm watch for:
Middle Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge to the Channel 5 Bridge
Flamingo to south of Englewood
West of Indian Pass to Walton Bay County line
A tropical storm watch is an announcement that sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within the specified area within 48 hours in association with a tropical, subtropical, or post-tropical cyclone.
61 Florida counties under state of emergency
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency to 61 of Florida’s 64 counties.
The counties affected are: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.
Declaring a state of emergency allows the state and local governments much more freedom to coordinate their emergency agencies, relax restrictions, cut through red tape and reallocate resources to quickly deal with an imminent or ongoing threat that local services can’t handle on their own.
Tropical Storm Helene track
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tropical Storm Helene could hit FL as major hurricane: Live updates
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 08:56:00
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