Hurricane : Urgent Evacuations Underway in Florida as Major Hurricane Helene Approaches
Floridians are racing against time as evacuations begin in anticipation of Hurricane Helene, a rapidly intensifying storm set to hit the state as the strongest hurricane in over a year. Currently a tropical storm, Helene formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday and is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane within 48 hours as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
A hurricane warning has been issued along parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, stretching from Anclote River to Mexico Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center. Mexico has also issued a warning from Cabo Catoche to Tulum. As of the latest advisory, Helene’s winds have reached 60 mph and are projected to intensify further before making landfall late Thursday, likely in the Big Bend region of Florida.
The accelerated pace of the storm leaves little time for preparation, with damaging winds, torrential rainfall, and life-threatening storm surge expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast. Officials warn that the storm’s exact path may shift, which could alter where the worst impacts are felt. The National Hurricane Center is urging residents across the Southeast to brace for widespread effects, including power outages, heavy rainfall, and possible tornadoes.
Evacuations are already in progress for coastal regions most at risk from storm surge, with mandatory orders in place for parts of seven counties, including Pinellas, Hernando, Charlotte, Gulf, Manatee, and Sarasota. Franklin, Wakulla, and Taylor counties have been placed under full mandatory evacuation orders.
Helene’s expected landfall comes just over a year after Hurricane Idalia struck the same region as a Category 3 storm, bringing record-breaking storm surges from Tampa to the Big Bend. Now, Floridians are once again preparing for another potentially devastating hurricane. Time is of the essence as the state braces for Helene’s impact.
Florida and Georgia Mobilize as Hurricane Helene Approaches
Preparations are ramping up in Florida and Georgia as Hurricane Helene threatens to bring severe impacts across the region. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded the state’s emergency declaration on Tuesday from 41 to 61 of its 67 counties, allowing for quicker coordination between state and local governments as the storm intensifies.
At a news conference, DeSantis confirmed that over 3,000 members of the Florida National Guard are on standby to assist with storm relief efforts, and the Florida State Guard has been activated. In preparation for potential internet outages, “hundreds of Starlinks” are ready to be deployed across impacted areas.
The Big Bend region, where Helene is projected to make landfall, faces the greatest threat, with a possible storm surge of up to 15 feet. However, the storm’s massive size and strength mean that areas as far south as Tampa could see up to 8 feet of storm surge, with even more flooding expected in vulnerable communities. To safeguard against the surge, Tampa General Hospital began setting up a 10-foot flood barrier around its facility on Monday.
Pinellas County officials have also issued warnings, anticipating that hundreds of homes could experience flooding. Emergency management director Cathie Perkins highlighted that Helene is larger than both Hurricane Idalia and Tropical Storm Eta, which caused significant flooding in the county. “If you experienced flooding during Eta, Idalia, or the Christmas storm, you’re likely to see flooding again,” Perkins stated in a Tuesday briefing.
Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered for all residential healthcare facilities along the coast of St. Petersburg, with more orders expected as the storm moves closer. St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth Welch emphasized the urgency, urging residents to prepare for the storm now. He also asked residents to limit water use in anticipation of storm surge as high as 8 feet in some areas.
Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency ahead of Helene’s expected landfall later this week. “As we monitor Hurricane Helene’s path, I’ve declared a State of Emergency to allow emergency teams to direct resources in advance,” Kemp said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), urging residents to stay vigilant.
Georgia’s emergency officials warned that the storm could bring dangerous winds across all 159 counties in the state. James Stallings, director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, advised residents to prepare for power and water outages that could last up to 72 hours. “The saying goes: you run from water, you hide from wind,” Stallings said, urging people to secure their emergency supplies.
As both states brace for Helene’s landfall, residents are reminded to take swift action as time to prepare runs short.
Tropical Storm-Force Winds and Heavy Rain to Hit Florida by Wednesday Afternoon
Florida could begin feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Helene as early as Wednesday afternoon, with tropical storm-force gusts expected to hit the Florida Keys and spread northward across the Peninsula by Thursday morning. Coastal areas should brace for hurricane-force winds soon after, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.
In the Tampa Bay area, the worst of Helene’s winds and rain may begin late Wednesday night and continue through Thursday evening, with hurricane-force gusts a possibility. Meanwhile, residents in Tallahassee will have a few more hours to prepare before the storm hits. Although landfall is predicted southeast of Tallahassee late Thursday, the area will experience severe conditions earlier in the day, lasting throughout Thursday.
Tropical storm-force winds will spread over much of the Southeast by Thursday evening, with soaking rains that could topple trees and cause widespread power outages. The heaviest rainfall is expected from Thursday into Friday morning, with a significant risk of flooding in parts of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. According to the Weather Prediction Center, these areas are under a level 3 of 4 risk for flooding rain on Thursday.
Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are predicted from Florida’s Gulf Coast into Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia, with up to a foot of rain possible in some areas of the Florida Panhandle and the southern Appalachians. While the Gulf Coast will experience the brunt of the storm’s rain by Friday, northern regions are in for a wet weekend.
Helene’s moisture will feed into a slow-moving cold front, creating a “predecessor rain event”—a weather pattern in which heavy rain falls hundreds of miles north of a tropical cyclone. This setup could lead to flash flooding, and the Weather Prediction Center warns that mudslides and landslides may occur in the southern Appalachian region. Northern Alabama, Georgia, eastern Tennessee, and parts of the Carolinas could see 2 to 4 inches of rain starting Wednesday into Thursday, ahead of Helene’s landfall.
A flood watch is already in effect for over 20 million people, stretching from Florida to the southern Appalachians, as preparations continue for the arrival of Hurricane Helene.
