Florida residents have started evacuating and taking other emergency precautions as Hurricane Helene closes in – with experts saying it could be the strongest storm to hit the US so far this season.
Helene was officially reached hurricane-level force with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The anticipated path of what will be Hurricane Helene, as of Wednesday morning. National Hurricane Center / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Helene, which formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, is currently set to make landfall off along the northeast coast of the Gulf of Mexico late Thursday, and may reach Category 3 — with winds of up to 120 mph over the next 36 hours.
The greatest landfall probability is along the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle – including the big Bend area – which will experience “life-threatening” storm surge, flooding rains, winds, the National Hurricane Center said.
“Everyone along the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region needs to be prepared for hurricane impacts,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva told the Tallahassee Democrat.
“AccuWeather expert meteorologists expect this to be a highly impactful storm,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter added. “This could be the storm that the 2024 hurricane season is remembered for.”
Dave McCurley boards up the windows to his home in advance of Tropical Storm Helene. AP
President Joe Biden already declared a federal state of emergency for the Sunshine State. On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency declaration to 61 counties, CBS News reported.
There are also voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders in place in 13 counties.
The mandatory evacuation order included the University of Tampa, which ordered students to clear out by 1 p.m. Wednesday.
People fill sandbags at Helen Howarth Park ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Helene. Getty Images
Residents in mobile homes, in particular, were urged to flee to more stable locations ahead of the storm.
“It is not safe [in mobile homes],” Florida Emergency Manager Kevin Guthrie said at a press conference, according to Florida Phoenix reporter Mitch Perry.
Helene is predicted to be especially large and fast-moving, meaning that storm surge, winds, and heavy rain will probably extend far from the storm’s center.
Georgia is also under a state of emergency, and states as far inland and Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee could experience Helene-related rainfall, CBS said.
Palm trees sway as a tree was toppled by heavy winds and rain caused by Helene in Cancun, Mexico. REUTERS
Hal Summers of Mexico Beach told the outlet that he was taking extra precautions this time around after he and his parents both lost their homes in Hurricane Michael, the 2018 Category 5 storm that swept across the western Florida Panhandle.
“That was such a traumatic experience that that is not the place I needed to be for myself,” said Summers, who recalled wading through the rising storm surge while holding his cat above his head.
Helene is closing in as the Florida Big Bend is still recovering from a string of recent hurricanes.
Hurricane Debby hit the region as a Category 1 storm in early August, and recovery efforts are still underway and the area prepares for Helene’s impact.
Idalia, a Category 3 hurricane, hit Florida’s west coast last year and generated a record-breaking storm surge from Tampa up through the Bid Bend.
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 04:28:00
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