Hurricane Helen will make landfall in Florida late Thursday night as a dangerous Category 4 storm, pummeling the sunny state with heavy rain, a potentially “unsurvivable” storm surge, and life-threatening winds.
The devastating storm, the largest on record in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthened to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and impacting Florida's Big Bend, according to the National Hurricane Center. Gave.
According to NOAA, the storm made landfall around 11:20 p.m.
Experts also warn that “unsurvivable” storm surge of up to 20 feet is possible across large areas of the Florida Panhandle.
Helen brought heavy rainfall (approximately 6 to 12 inches of rain) to Florida and the rest of the world, leading to potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with major river flooding. Rare level 4 of 4 rainfall risk includes two different regions. Weather officials said it occurred across the Southeast.
A state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida's 67 counties, with evacuation orders in place for several counties in the storm's path.
Extreme wind damage is also expected along the Florida coast from I-95 to Tennessee, and widespread power outages are possible.
After landfall, Helen is expected to turn northwest and slow over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday. According to the National Hurricane Center, further strengthening is possible.
The storm should weaken as it moves inland, but its fast forward speed could allow damaging winds, especially gusts, to penetrate far inland across the southeastern United States, including the highlands of the southern Appalachians.
Tornado warnings were also issued for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Helen has the potential to break “every record we have” for modern hurricane size, FOX Weather meteorologist Cody Blood told the Post.
“We're talking about a vast area compared to a typical storm, and the winds of a tropical cyclone probably only extend 160 or 150 miles from the center,” Brad said. Ta.
“This storm is essentially twice that, probably close to triple the size of a typical storm that passes through the Gulf Coast.”
Helen, which formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, developed an eye early Thursday, and satellite images showed the storm continued to gain strength in the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
NBC News reports that Florida has 3,500 National Guard troops ready to respond to the storm, as well as 200 Florida High Patrol troopers and 550 generators and heavy duty equipment from the Florida Department of Transportation. 40 pumps are installed.
Helen had already flooded parts of the Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, flooding roads and toppling trees as it passed offshore and brushed past the resort city of Cancun.
The storm also caused power outages in Cuba early Thursday.
Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee and Clearwater were closed Thursday, and more than half of flights to Sarasota and Fort Myers airports were canceled, according to FlightAware.
Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, is also experiencing some delays, as are Charlotte, North Carolina, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, according to CNN.
Helen is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts this year's Atlantic hurricane season will be above average due to record-breaking warm ocean temperatures.
