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    • Storm projected to become a Category 4 hurricane, bring ‘catastrophic’ storm surge
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    Storm projected to become a Category 4 hurricane, bring ‘catastrophic’ storm surge

    Vaseline Posted on

    Hurricane Helene, an unusually large and rapidly intensifying storm, took aim at the Big Bend of Florida Wednesday, where it was projected to bring life-threatening conditions when it made landfall Thursday night.

    Forecasts from The National Hurricane Center projected that Helene would become a raging Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph over the next day as it makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico.

    Perhaps most dangerous, models show Helene threatening to bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet to parts of Florida’s West Coast and panhandle. The hurricane center warned of a “catastrophic and deadly storm surge” with “destructive waves” along the Florida coast, in addition to “potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds” and “life-threatening flash and urban flooding.”

    The imposing size of Helene adds an additional dimension to its danger, with a wind field hundreds of miles wide.

    Governors across the South sounded the alarm Wednesday ahead of the cyclone’s arrival. States of emergency were declared in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. Evacuations orders were issued for those in low-lying areas in two dozen Florida counties.

    Here are the latest developments from Yahoo News on the approaching storm. For live blog updates in Spanish, click here, and for more details on the forecast, visit our hurricane tracker.

    Live17 updates

    • What’s the forecast for Thursday?

      Hurricane Helene was forecast to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). “Preparations to protect life and property should be completed by early Thursday before tropical storm conditions arrive,” forecasters warned.

      The NHC predicts that “damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds” will be felt inland in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Strong wind gusts are forecast to be felt in parts of northern Georgia and the Carolinas.

      “Helene will bring heavy rain to portions of the western Caribbean with potentially significant flooding across western Cuba and the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula into early Thursday,” meteorologists said.

    • ‘This is very, very serious,’ the National Weather Service warns

      The National Weather Service Wednesday night implored residents under evacuation orders to “please abide,” given the latest forecasts that show storm surges of 15-20 feet projected for parts of the Florida coast when Helene makes landfall Thursday night.

      “This is very, very serious,” the weather service said.

    • Photos: Scenes from Cuba and Cancún as Helene approaches

    • Helene forecast to make landfall with Category 4 strength, NHC says

      Hurricane Helene is forecast to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday with Category 4 strength, meteorologists said on Wednesday evening.

      Storm winds are expected to reach at least 130 mph and forecasters warned of “catastrophic and deadly” storm surge up to 20 feet.

    • Helene’s winds pose risks for ‘Tree City USA’ Tallahassee

      A Canopy Road sign in Tallahassee, Fla. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)A Canopy Road sign in Tallahassee, Fla. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

      A Canopy Road sign. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

      While storm surge will be the biggest threat facing the communities along Florida’s Big Bend region as Hurricane Helene makes its way onshore as a forecast Category 3 system, the state’s capital, Tallahassee, will be vulnerable to high winds.

      “Helene could also become Tallahassee’s worst wind event in recorded history as 100 mph winds meet ‘Tree City USA,'” the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

      With ample trees across the city, Tallahassee is one of 3,400 so-called Tree Cities nationwide. That distinction is handed out by the Arbor Day Foundation, the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Forest Service.

      With winds forecast to be above 111 mph upon landfall, many trees are expected to fall as the storm makes its way toward Tallahassee.

    • Helene could bring storm surge of up to 20 feet, National Hurricane Center warns

      One of the most worrisome potential dangers posed by Hurricane Helene is the storm surge that it is forecast to generate. On Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the surge could be as high as 20 feet.

      Here’s a list of how high the water could get in some locations, according to the NHC:

      • Carrabelle, Fla., to Suwannee River, Fla. — 15–20 feet

      • Apalachicola, Fla., to Carrabelle, Fla. — 10–15 feet

      • Suwannee River, Fla., to Chassahowitzka, Fla. — 10–15 feet

      • Chassahowitzka, Fla., to Anclote River, Fla. — 8–12 feet

      • Indian Pass, Fla., to Apalachicola, Fla. — 6–10 feet

      • Anclote River, Fla., to middle of Longboat Key, Fla. — 5–8 feet

      • Tampa Bay, Fla. — 5–8 feet

      For reference, when Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers Beach in 2022, it packed a 15-foot storm surge.

    • Helene now 460 miles southwest of Tampa

      In its 5 p.m. ET bulletin, the National Hurricane Center updated the current location of Hurricane Helene.

      The Category 1 storm is now about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla., and about 505 miles from Apalachicola, the town in the Big Bend region where the storm is expected to make landfall on Thursday evening.

      Helene’s maximum sustained winds are now 85 miles per hour and the hurricane is traveling north at abo12 miles per hour.

    • As Helene approaches Florida, worries about insurance market grow

      With Hurricane Helene taking aim at Florida, a growing number of residents there are relying on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the subsidized “insurer of last resort,” to cover property losses.

      “In Florida, Citizens Insurance is the largest market for home insurance in the state, which is really a bad scenario. Citizens stands at over 1.2 million policies and 18.5% market share, double the market share of any private company in the state,” Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute, told Yahoo News.

      In recent years, as the number of billion dollar insurance losses continues to grow nationwide, private insurance companies have either been canceling old policies, refusing to write new ones in high-risk areas or dramatically raising rates.

      Residents in Florida pay four times the national average for homeowners insurance, and the cost of premiums has risen there more than 40% over the past year and a half.

      Read more from Yahoo News.

    • South Carolina gov. declares state of emergency

      South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon, noting in a post on X that his state “will likely avoid the brunt of this storm, but it is still expected to bring flooding, high winds, and isolated tornadoes.”

    • Record-high ocean temperatures contribute to Helene’s strength

      Helene will pass over unusually warm ocean water as it moves up the Caribbean, which will cause the storm to grow. According to the Weather Channel, the warmer the ocean water is, the more heat and moisture can be pumped into a hurricane, which will make it stronger.

      The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico have been as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

      Brian McNoldy a researcher at the University of Miami, tracked the temperature in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month, saying the temperatures were “obliterating previous all-time record highs.”

      McNoldy followed up on his temperature tracker this morning, writing, “It’s almost as if this matters.”

    • N.C. governor declares state of emergency

      North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as the state braces for possible flash flooding, landslides and other impacts from Helene, which is building in strength as it makes its way toward the U.S.

      “Helene threatens heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont areas of our state,” Cooper said in a statement. “Now is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area.”

    • Tampa airport to suspend operations

      Tampa International Airport announced that it will suspend operations on Thursday ahead of Helene’s arrival.

    • A satellite image of Helene as it makes its way toward Florida

      NOAA NOAA

      NOAA

    • Photos: Preparing for Hurricane Helene in Florida and Cuba

    • Helene is now a hurricane

      According to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory, Helene has strengthened into a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

      It is located about 85 miles north-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and 500 miles south-southwest of Tampa, and it is moving north-northwest at 10 mph.

    • These are the latest watches and warnings

      As of 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday, a hurricane warning was in effect for:

      • Anclote River to Mexico Beach, Fla.

      • Cabo Catoche to Tulum, Mexico

      A hurricane watch was in effect for:

      • Pinar del Río Province, Cuba

      • Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay in Florida

      A tropical storm warning was in effect for:

      • Dry Tortugas

      • All of the Florida Keys

      • The west coast of Florida from Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay

      • West of Mexico Beach to the Walton/Bay County Line

      • The east coast of Florida from Flamingo to Altamaha Sound, Ga.

      • Lake Okeechobee

      • Río Lagartos to Tulum, Mexico

      • Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Río and the Isle of Youth

      A tropical storm watch was in effect for:

      A storm surge watch was in effect for:

    • Where is the storm and what is its path?

      A map showing the path of the storm as it approaches the Florida Panhandle.A map showing the path of the storm as it approaches the Florida Panhandle.

      Helene is forecast to hit the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane on Thursday. (National Hurricane Center)

      According to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory, Tropical Storm Helene — with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph — is located about 60 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and 100 miles west-southwest of Cuba, and is moving northwest at 9 mph.

      The storm is expected to rapidly intensify and come ashore along the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds exceeding 111 miles per hour.

      “Damaging hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the coast of the Florida Big Bend, where a Hurricane Warning is now in effect,” the hurricane center said. “Preparations to protect life and property should be complete by early Thursday.”

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