Topline
Tropical Storm Helene in the Caribbean Sea turned into a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday morning and is expected to continue strengthening as it moves through the Gulf Coast towards Florida, with the National Hurricane Center warning of “life-threatening” weather.
Tropical Storm Helene strengthened over the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon.
Key Facts
Hurricane Helene—located about 500 miles southwest of Tampa—has prompted a hurricane warning for the Florida coastline and extended tropical storm warnings and watches north into Georgia and South Carolina.
A hurricane warning is in place for the Florida Gulf Coast from the Anclote River north of Clearwater to the Panhandle’s Mexico Beach, and the coast of Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum, including Cozumel.
A Hurricane watch is in effect for Englewood—between Tampa and Fort Myers—to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, and a tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida Keys, Tampa Bay and the Florida east coast from Flamingo northward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
A tropical storm watch covers the Georgia and South Carolina coasts north of Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River and a storm surge warning has been issued for Florida from Flamingo at the southern tip to the State to Indian Pass in the Panhandle, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, with higher gusts, and forecasters predict it will rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasts predict wind speeds could be as high as 125 mph by Thursday afternoon, the higher end of the sustained winds that define a storm as a Category 3 hurricane.
The system is expected to become a major hurricane by the time it reaches the U.S. on Thursday, with between 5 and 10 inches of rain expected, with isolated totals up to 15 inches, which “will likely result in areas of considerable flash and urban flooding.”
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Has Helene Caused Evacuation Orders In Florida?
Yes. Hillsborough County issued a mandatory evacuation of all mobile and prefabricated homes as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. As of Tuesday evening just before 5 p.m. EDT, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders had been issued in 13 counties. Six counties had mandatory evacuation orders: Charlotte County, Franklin County, Gulf County, Manatee County, Pinellas County and Wakulla County. Almost the entire state is under a state of emergency declaration.
Is Helene Impacting Airlines?
The Tampa International Airport will close to the public at 2 a.m. Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene and will reopen when the storm has passed. Wednesday’s flight schedule will proceed as normal. Airlines have issued travel alerts for the storm and are letting potentially impacted passengers change their plans without fees, including United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier.
What To Watch For
Forecasters warn Helene’s impacts could be felt well inland, due to an unusually large wind field and heavy rain, which could bring “the risk of landslides across the southern Appalachians.”
Crucial Quote
“There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Big Bend,” the National Hurricane Center noted. “The highest inundation levels are expected along the coast of the Florida Big Bend. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so.”
Key Background
Helene is the eighth named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes weeks after Francine made landfall as a Category 2 in Louisiana on Sept. 11. The only tropical storm to form in between the two, named Gordon, lost its strength in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday. Forecasters this year predicted the busiest storm season (from June 1 to Nov. 30) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever forecasted—up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes—but the season hasn’t been as active as predicted so far.