Roanoke, Virginia – A Weather Service Advisory Day has been issued for Friday, September 27th to prepare for the arrival of Helene. The main risk with this storm is severe flash flooding, but there is also a risk of damaging winds and some tornadoes. Because of these risks, we have issued a WAAD to allow adequate time to prepare for this storm.

Thursday morning – 8:00 a.m. Note

Hurricane Helene is now a Category 2 hurricane and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane (Category 3+) before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. This storm will continue to strengthen to the point of landfall. Then, as it moves inland and northward, it will continue to pack its punch, bringing hurricane and tropical storm-force winds and conditions to the Southeast.

Local impacts include gusty winds between 20 and 50 mph and heavy tropical rainfall totaling 1 to 6 inches.

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Thursday morning update

Flood risk is highest today in areas along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Due to a low pressure system to the west, we will continue to experience moderate to heavy rain across the region. This is unrelated to Helene, but the rainfall we are experiencing is another reason for future rain.

Hurricane Helene will make landfall at Florida's Big Bend later today. Here's a look at the future forecast at 8 p.m.

Helene will move quickly and be in our backyard tomorrow morning. Here's a look at the future forecast at 7:00 a.m. Tropical rain and gusty winds will impact southwest and central Virginia all day long.

Due to the slope of the mountains, flood risk is highest along the Blue Ridge Mountains. As tropical air flows up and over the mountains, it condenses and increases the potential for precipitation.

There is also a chance of tornadoes forming across the state. Since we are on the dirty side (northeast side) of the storm, the risk is increased.

Here's a look at the general hazards for tomorrow. We'll be dealing with heavy tropical rains with gusty winds and isolated tornadoes throughout the day. This also increases the chance of local power outages.

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Wednesday Update

Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by Thursday evening, likely packing winds in excess of 120 mph as it makes landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. Numerous tropical storm and hurricane warnings have been issued for Florida, and mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in many counties.

In our region, we will feel the impacts Thursday night. Winds will increase slightly during the evening hours, and moderate rainfall will arrive between midnight and sunrise Friday. Tropical rains from Helene's outer bands will continue throughout Friday, with the heaviest amounts expected in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains.

However, due to the rainfall over the last few days and the rains from Helene, flash flooding is the biggest concern. Rainfall totals between 8am Thursday and 8pm Friday could easily exceed 6 inches, with totals of 2-4 inches expected across the region. Urban areas, areas with poor drainage, roads, and rivers/creeks/rivers are most at risk for flooding. Any river flooding we see will continue through Saturday to account for the slowly rising water levels.

With the eastern bands of Helene forecast to impact our area, there is a risk of severe weather. It is quite possible (if not likely) that some storm cells could spawn a few tornadoes, with the greatest chance of tornadoes east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wind speeds will be consistently between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts possibly reaching over 40 mph. The combination of significant rainfall and these winds could topple some trees and possibly cause power outages. Mudslides are also likely in mountainous areas, where thin soil and steep terrain would lead to rapid erosion.

There are several steps you can take to prepare for this storm.

– have an emergency plan

– Make sure you have properly functioning flashlights with batteries

– pre-charge electronic devices

– Stay as far away from the roads as possible

– Do not drive through flooded roads as the water may be much deeper than it looks.

– Secure all loose objects outdoors

– have the opportunity to receive notifications

As always, we will keep you updated on the development of the situation via broadcast, online or via our app.