Hurricane Helen It continued to strengthen as it entered the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday. On the Road It is heading toward the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf Coast and is expected to strengthen as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph late Wednesday afternoon, making it a Category 1 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Five Categories When it comes to hurricanes, a Category 3 storm or higher with sustained winds of 110 mph or more is considered a major hurricane.
“We’re expecting significant strengthening in the eastern Gulf of Mexico,” Jamie Rome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, told CBS News on Wednesday.
Forecasters warned that Helen could strengthen to a Category 4 on Thursday, with wind speeds of 130 mph, and could strengthen further before making landfall.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a Category 3 storm could cause significant damage or rip roofs off well-built homes in the hardest-hit coastal areas, uproot or down many trees, blocking roads, and likely causing power and water outages for days or weeks after the storm has passed.
Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Wednesday that thousands of power line workers will be heading to the state to help restore power after the storm passes.
“Power outages are expected, so people have an opportunity now to start planning for them,” DeSantis said. “There’s still time. Get Ready I was going to make plans today, but I’m running out of time.”
The National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to bring “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains to much of Florida and the southeastern United States.”
Forecasters said the Big Bend region south of Tallahassee, Florida, from the Carrabelle to the Suwannee Rivers. Storm surgeThe peak of the storm coincided with high tide, and the hurricane center warned that water levels in other areas could reach 3 to 15 feet.
“The water impacts will likely be the most impactful and most deadly part of the storm,” Rome said.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Watches and warnings were issued across Florida ahead of the storm. President Biden and Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency in the state earlier this week. Evacuation Order States of emergency have been declared in several counties. At the University of Tampa, officials were trying to evacuate all dorm students by Wednesday afternoon.
Helen is expected to make landfall Thursday and won’t just affect Florida, Rome said.
“I’m really concerned that it’s going to have major impacts on southern Georgia well beyond where the center makes landfall,” Rome told CBS News.
Governor DeSantis urged Floridians not to evacuate hundreds of miles from their homes as Helene is expected to move inland after making landfall.
“If we look at what this storm is going to do, it’s going to hit north Florida, keep moving, get into southern Georgia, maybe even Atlanta, get into the Tennessee and Carolinas area and then stall out a little bit. So Florida is kind of the undercard, so to speak,” DeSantis said.
The governor instead urged people to move to higher ground in their communities, either to the homes of friends or family or to go to evacuation centers.
Florida prepares for Hurricane Helen
Residents along the west coast of Florida Prepare for the storm People prepared before Helen’s dangerous crash by boarding up windows, refueling cars and piling up sandbags.
In Tallahassee, Dorothy Richardson was preparing to evacuate with her six grandchildren.
“You have to be prepared either way,” Richardson said. “Have sandbags ready… have coal, lighter fluid, propane tanks.”
REUTERS/Marco Bello
Russell King was preparing to evacuate his Mexico Beach home, which he said was barely holding up. Hurricane Michael 2018.
“The showers were blown away, the elevator was blown away, the walls on the first floor were blown away,” King said. “I feel OK now, but with 125 mph winds I could be blown away.”
Tallahassee Mayor John Daly said the city would double its staffing after Hurricane Helene, with crews from other states coming in to help restore power and provide support to the area.
“I’m very concerned,” Daly said. “I’m from Tallahassee, this is my hometown, and I’ve never seen a storm of this magnitude hit Tallahassee.”
Further south in Tampa, a temporary wall was erected outside Tampa General Hospital to block flooding from the nearby bay, where a 5-8 foot storm surge was expected. Officials said the wall held off about 2.5 feet of water last year. Hurricane Idalia strike.
Warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico fuel hurricanes
Record-warming waters in the Gulf of Mexico could act like jet fuel to intensify storms, Brian McNoldy, a senior research scientist at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Geosciences, recently wrote. Ocean Heat Content The highest on record for the Gulf of Mexico. Warm water This is a necessary component for strengthening tropical systems.
Sea surface temperatures along Helene’s path are expected to reach 89 degrees Fahrenheit, 2 to 4 degrees warmer than normal. These record temperatures are increasingly likely to be significantly warmer as a result of human-induced climate change, according to Climate Central. The North Atlantic as a whole will reach its warmest year on record in 2024, storing 90% of the excess heat generated through 2025. Climate Change Production Greenhouse Gas Pollution.
Florida radar map
Before Helen is expected to reach Florida, this radar map shows rainfall amounts across the state.
Manuel Bojorquez contributed to this report.
