Tropical Storm Helene rapidly strengthened on Wednesday morning as it moves toward Florida, expected to make landfall as the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. in over a year.
The storm is predicted to expand into a massive, sprawling system, impacting not only Florida but much of the southeastern U.S.
With time running out, residents must act quickly to prepare. Thousands of Florida residents have already evacuated from coastal areas, and nearly the entire state is under tropical alerts as Helene brings the threat of heavy rainfall, destructive winds, and life-threatening storm surges.
Helene is projected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, potentially in the Big Bend region, late Thursday. It is on track to become the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. in over a year.
As of Wednesday morning, Helene was just 4 mph short of reaching hurricane status and is set to be the fourth hurricane to hit the U.S. this year and the fifth to impact Florida since 2022.
The storm, which formed Tuesday morning in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, is rapidly intensifying. Within just 48 hours, Helene is expected to transform from a 45-mph tropical storm into a major Category 3 hurricane, fueled by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
By 8 a.m. ET, its maximum sustained winds had increased to 70 mph, with even stronger gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A flood watch is in effect for more than 20 million people from Florida to the southern Appalachians, with tornadoes posing a risk through Friday across the region.
The Big Bend area is at the greatest risk for storm surge, which could reach up to 15 feet.
“If you’re a religious person, say a prayer, because we don’t need this,” Port Richey resident Rick Way told CNN affiliate WFTS, speaking about the potential flooding Helene could bring. “None of us do.”
Florida’s Big Bend region is still recovering from recent hurricanes.
Hurricane Debby hit the area in early August as a Category 1 storm, and recovery efforts are ongoing. Last year, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend region as a Category 3, causing record-breaking storm surges from Tampa to the Big Bend.
Way shared that he spent Tuesday afternoon sandbagging around his home, which was flooded during Idalia. “Look at how close we are to the water,” Way told WFTS. “People across the street and others nearby had between 1 to 3 feet of water in their homes. It didn’t matter if it was 6 inches or 3 feet—it still caused damage.”
A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Anclote River to Mexico Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center’s advisory at 11 p.m. ET. The Mexican government has also issued a hurricane warning for the area from Cabo Catoche to Tulum.
Evacuations began on Tuesday for several coastal areas in Florida due to the threat of dangerous storm surges. Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders across parts of at least nine counties, including Citrus, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Gulf, Manatee, and Pinellas.
In Taylor County, southeast of Tallahassee, the sheriff’s office mandated evacuations for all residents on Tuesday evening and implemented a curfew from sunrise to sunset.
“This system will be unlike anything we’ve experienced before,” the sheriff’s office stated. Evacuations were also made mandatory for all residents of Franklin and Wakulla counties.
The broader Southeast is preparing for potentially severe impacts as well. Heavy rain, strong winds capable of widespread power outages, and a risk of tornadoes are expected to impact the region.
Helene is forecasted to remain a hurricane when it reaches southern Georgia early Friday.
Significant and potentially life-threatening flash flooding is expected across parts of the Southeast, the southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley from Wednesday through Friday, with landslides possible in the southern Appalachians.
Widespread minor to moderate river flooding is anticipated, with isolated cases of major flooding.
The National Hurricane Center has also warned that the storm’s path could shift in the coming days, potentially altering the areas that will see the worst impacts.
Floridians are preparing for Helene as they continue to recover from the impacts of Idalia and Ian.
Just over a year ago, some Florida residents were left picking up the pieces after Hurricane Idalia devastated their homes. Now, they find themselves preparing for yet another potentially destructive storm.
“If you don’t take action, you’re going to feel the consequences,” Howard Rabe told CNN affiliate WFTS. “We’ve been through a lot of these storms in all the years we’ve lived here.”
Rabe’s home in Port Richey is in the same area that flooded after Idalia last August. In preparation for Helene, he pulled out hurricane shutters and flood barriers on Tuesday to safeguard his home.
In Sanibel, a couple who met during Hurricane Ian in 2022 and nearly lost everything are now facing Helene together, CNN affiliate WINK reported.
Before Ian, Michele Vikartofsky and Larry Leventhal had never met.
“We were both the stubborn ones who stayed behind. We were neighbors but hadn’t met before. Ian brought us together—we spent two days walking around after the storm, and now here we are,” Vikartofsky said.
This time, the couple feels much less anxious.
“After surviving Ian, you feel like you can handle anything,” Vikartofsky said.
“Ian was destructive and taught us a lesson we never expected. Storm surges were always predicted, but nothing like what Ian brought. So now, we’re a bit more cautious,” she added.
The couple is part of a neighborhood group chat, discussing how to manage their vehicles and transportation in case of severe flooding, Vikartofsky told WINK.
Meanwhile, a family in Manatee County is still grappling with the damage left by Hurricane Debby in August.
“We’re overwhelmed. It’s just too much for us at 84 years old,” Ron Booher told CNN affiliate WFTV.
In Gulf County, resident and business owner Lynn Marshall is preparing for the worst.
“You can’t help but worry. My house was destroyed during Hurricane Michael. Four businesses were wiped out, and the Port Inn, where I worked, was completely gone,” Marshall told CNN affiliate WJHG.
Governors of Florida and Georgia declare states of emergency.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded the emergency declaration from 41 to 61 of the state’s 67 counties on Tuesday due to the potential for further inland impacts.
This declaration facilitates quicker preparations and improved coordination between state and local governments ahead of the storm’s arrival.
DeSantis confirmed at a news conference that at least 3,000 members of the Florida National Guard are on standby to assist with storm-related efforts, and the Florida State Guard has been activated. Additionally, the state has procured “hundreds of Starlinks” for deployment in case of internet outages.
The storm’s vast size and intensity could bring surge levels of up to 8 feet in the greater Tampa area and even higher in regions further south. With little time to prepare, Tampa General Hospital began constructing a 10-foot-high flood barrier around the facility on Monday in response to the surge risk.
Officials in neighboring Pinellas County warned that hundreds of homes are likely to flood due to a higher storm surge compared to previous destructive storms.
“This storm is significantly larger than Idalia and Eta. For Idalia, parts of our county experienced over 4 feet of storm surge, resulting in more than 1,500 homes flooding,” Pinellas County emergency management director Cathie Perkins stated at a Tuesday news conference. “If you faced flooding during Eta, Idalia, or the Christmas storm, you are likely to see flooding in your area again.”
These repeated weather events have strained Florida’s insurance market, with insurers pulling out of the state due to the increasing risk of extreme weather driven by climate change.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for all residential health care facilities along the coast of St. Petersburg as residents prepare for Helene, according to Mayor Kenneth Welch, with additional evacuation orders anticipated as the storm approaches.
“This is a powerful storm, and the time to prepare is now,” Welch said at a news conference, urging residents to limit water usage in the coming days to brace for storm surges as high as 5 to 8 feet in the area.
Several school districts along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including those in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties, have announced closures ahead of the storm’s impacts, and numerous state universities have also declared closures.
In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm’s expected impacts later this week.
“As we monitor Tropical Storm Helene’s path and potential effects, I have declared a State of Emergency, allowing emergency management teams to prepare and direct resources well ahead of the storm’s arrival. Stay vigilant and stay safe,” Kemp stated on X.
Georgia officials warned residents to prepare for wind events that could affect all 159 counties in the state.
“The old adage in emergency response is: you run from water, you hide from wind,” Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director James Stallings said during a Tuesday news conference, advising residents to ensure their emergency supplies are adequate to last up to 72 hours in case of power or water outages.
The Southeast may experience tropical storm-force winds and heavy rainfall beginning midweek.
Beginning as early as Wednesday afternoon, tropical storm-force wind gusts are expected to affect the Florida Keys and gradually move northward, potentially reaching much of the Peninsula by Thursday morning. Hurricane-force wind gusts may follow closely behind in many coastal regions.
Late Wednesday night, the Tampa area could experience the most intense wind and rain, with conditions persisting through Thursday evening, including the possibility of hurricane-force winds, according to the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay.
Landfall is projected southeast of Tallahassee late Thursday; however, the most severe conditions are anticipated to hit the city earlier and continue throughout the day.
By Thursday evening, tropical storm-force winds are expected to extend over a larger portion of the Southeast. Combined with heavy rainfall, these conditions could lead to downed trees and widespread power outages.
Heavy rainfall is expected across much of the Southeast starting around midweek, with the heaviest downpours anticipated from Thursday into Friday morning.
The Weather Prediction Center has issued a level 3 out of 4 risk for flooding rain in parts of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and sections of the Carolinas on Thursday.
Widespread rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are predicted from Florida’s Gulf Coast extending into parts of Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia, with some areas in the Florida Panhandle and southern Appalachians potentially receiving close to a foot. While much of this rain will occur by Friday for the Gulf Coast, a rainy weekend is expected further north.
This precipitation will be associated with a slow-moving cold front, fueled by deep tropical moisture from Helene. This scenario is characterized as a predecessor rain event, where heavy rain falls several hundred miles north of a tropical cyclone.
Such events can lead to significant flash flooding, and the weather prediction center has also cautioned that mudslides and landslides may occur in the southern Appalachians.
In this instance, 2 to 4 inches of rain is anticipated from Wednesday into Thursday, impacting northern Alabama and Georgia as well as eastern Tennessee and western parts of the Carolinas, well ahead of Helene’s landfall in Florida.
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