Hurricane Helene is racing towards Florida, evacuation areas are getting bigger

Top line

Tropical Storm Helene in the Caribbean developed into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday morning and is expected to continue to gain strength as it moves along the Gulf Coast toward Florida. The National Hurricane Center warns of “life-threatening” weather conditions.

Tropical Storm Helene strengthened over the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon.

NOAA

Key data

Hurricane Helene – about 500 miles southwest of Tampa – has triggered a hurricane warning for the Florida coast and extended tropical storm warnings and watches north to Georgia and South Carolina.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast of Florida from the Anclote River north of Clearwater to Mexico Beach on the Panhandle, and the coast of Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum, including Cozumel.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Englewood (between Tampa and Fort Myers) to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, and a tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida Keys, Tampa Bay, and the east coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Georgia and South Carolina coasts north of Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River, and a storm surge warning has been issued for Florida, from Flamingo at the southern tip of the state to Indian Pass in the Panhandle, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

The storm reached maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, with stronger gusts, at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and forecasters predict it will rapidly intensify over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasts predict wind speeds could reach 125 mph (200 kph) by Thursday afternoon, the upper limit of sustained winds that defines a storm as a Category 3 hurricane.

The storm is expected to develop into a major hurricane by the time it reaches the USA on Thursday. Wind speeds of around 193 km/h and rainfall of between 12 and 25 centimetres, and in isolated cases up to 38 centimetres, are expected. “Significant flash flooding and urban flooding will likely occur in some areas.”

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Did Helene trigger evacuation orders in Florida?

Yes. Hillsborough County has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all mobile and manufactured homes starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Just before 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday evening, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders had been issued in 13 counties. Six counties had mandatory evacuation orders: Charlotte County, Franklin County, Gulf County, Manatee County, Pinellas County and Wakulla County. Nearly the entire state is under a state of emergency.

Does Helene have an impact on airlines?

Airlines including United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier have issued travel advisories due to the storm and are allowing potentially affected passengers to rebook their plans free of charge.

What you should pay attention to

Meteorologists warn that the effects of Helene could be felt far inland due to an unusually large wind field and heavy rainfall. There is “a risk of landslides in the southern Appalachians.”

Key quote

“The entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Big Bend is under a threat of life-threatening storm surge,” the National Hurricane Center noted. “The highest flood levels are expected along the coast of the Florida Big Bend. Residents in these areas should follow the advice of local authorities and evacuate when instructed to do so.”

Important background

Helene is the eighth named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes weeks after Francine made landfall in Louisiana on Sept. 11 as a Category 2. The only tropical storm that formed between the two, named Gordon, lost strength in the Atlantic on Friday. Meteorologists predicted this year the strongest storm season (from June 1 to Nov. 30) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever forecast — as many as 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes — but the season so far has not been as active as predicted.

More information

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