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    • Disastrous Hurricane Helene is forecast far beyond Florida
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    Disastrous Hurricane Helene is forecast far beyond Florida

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    As Florida’s Gulf Coast braces for catastrophic Hurricane Helene, set to make landfall Thursday night, meteorologists are warning that heavy rains and gusty winds will cause flooding hundreds of miles inland.

    Helene’s winds extend outward as far as 275 miles from its center, making it a massive storm that could cause inland flooding even after landfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Due to its size, the Southeast will already be bringing heavy rain before landfall.

    Rainfall of up to 18 inches is expected Friday in the southern Appalachians. Major urban flooding is a risk in Tallahassee, metro Atlanta and western North Carolina.

    “Extreme rainfall (torrential rain) in the mountainous region of the southern Appalachians is likely to result in flash flooding, landslides, and overflow of major rivers and streams,” NOAA said in a rare news release warning of the risk of inland flooding.

    Flooding has been the leading cause of death from hurricanes and tropical cyclones in the US over the past decade.

    Damaging winds and flooding will extend beyond the Florida coast

    According to the National Weather Service, the greatest risk of flooding is expected in the Appalachians, but there is also a marginal risk of flooding in the north, in southern parts of Indiana, Ohio and in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

    “Helene could cause a flooding disaster in some areas of the southeastern United States, particularly northern Georgia, northern South Carolina and western North Carolina,” said Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist.

    The flooding will come from a combination of rain before Helene makes landfall and the heavy rainfall expected as the storm moves over land. The region from northern Georgia to upstate South Carolina, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia already saw flash flooding of between 2 and 8 inches of rain unrelated to Helene from Tuesday through Wednesday night, AccuWeather reported.

    Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency in preparation for Helene, noting that western parts of the state could experience significant rainfall and flooding Friday and Saturday.

    One bright spot: Heavy rains in parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky could ease the ongoing drought.

    Why does so much rain fall inland?

    In addition to Helene’s enormous size, there is another factor that can intensify the storm’s inland rainfall. It is called the Fujiwhara effect, the rotation of two storms around each other.

    Hurricane Helene could become entangled with another storm over the south-central U.S., a trough of low pressure. That could mean a deluge of flooding in states far from the storm’s center. The heavy, potentially flood-causing rain could impact the Mid-South and Ohio Valley in the coming days, meteorologists said.

    The effect is like a dance between two storm systems that are rotating in the same direction and moving around a central point between them. This can happen when they are about 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) apart. Learn about the most sophisticated dance in meteorology.

    How to Protect Yourself from Extreme Flooding

    Officials say even people hundreds of miles from the landing site should make a plan to stay safe:

    • Evacuate if directed to do so by local emergency services.
    • Please be aware that you live in a flood prone area.
    • Make sure you have a plan to protect your family and assets.
    • Prepare an emergency kit with water, non-perishable food, medicine and more. Here’s what to pack.
    • Stay off flooded roads. Do not attempt to drive through water.

    Contributors: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

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