Tropical Storm Helene A hurricane formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday and could strengthen into a major hurricane as it moves north toward the United States, forecasters said. Heavy rain and high waves have already hit the Cayman Islands, and some Florida residents have filled sandbags days ahead of expected flooding.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of Cuba, Mexico and parts of coastal Florida, including Tampa Bay, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning has been issued for parts of the Florida Keys.
The storm was located 175 miles (280 kilometers) south of the western tip of Cuba, had sustained winds of 47 mph (75 kph) and was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). It is expected to strengthen into Hurricane Helene on Wednesday as it approaches the Gulf Coast and could become a major hurricane on Thursday.
In the United States, federal authorities are deploying generators, food and water, as well as search and rescue and power restoration teams, White House spokesman Jeremy Edwards said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of the storm’s arrival on the state’s Gulf Coast early Thursday night and on Tuesday increased the counties included in the high-risk zone from 41 to 61.
“Now is the time to Start preparing. “If you’re in an evacuation zone, you need to evacuate,” said Lisa Bucci, a specialist at the hurricane center. “Don’t let the current shape of the storm fool you.”
The storm is expected to move over deep, warm waters, which will further intensify it. Residents in areas under watch and alert should prepare for power outages and have enough food and water to last at least three days, Bucci said.
Helene, the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, could strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane, with winds of at least 110 mph (178 km/h), before approaching the northeastern Gulf Coast. Since 2000, eight major hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.
Given the large size expected, storm surge, Wind and rain will extend far from the expected storm center, particularly on the eastern side. States as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana could see precipitation associated with the storm, Bucci said.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Dry Tortugas Islands in Florida, the Florida Keys west of the Seven Mile Bridge from Rio Lagartos to Tulum, Mexico, and the Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Grand Cayman.
A storm warning has been issued for Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Indian Pass south to Flamingo, Florida. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the central Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge to the Channel 5 Bridge, from Flamingo south to Englewood and from Indian Pass west to the Walton Bay County line.
DeSantis said the storm was reminiscent of the one in 2018. Hurricane Michael, A Category 5 hurricane that quickly intensified and caught residents off guard before carving a destructive path across West Florida. Communities still rebuilding from previous storms could be hit again, DeSantis warned.
“We’re going to see significant impacts no matter what,” DeSantis said Tuesday.
The sun was shining Tuesday in Tarpon Springs, Florida, but residents had already filled sandbags as they prepared for possible flooding.
Cayman Islands authorities have closed schools, airports and government offices as high winds knocked out power in parts of Grand Cayman, while heavy rains and waves reaching 3 metres (10 feet) high caused flooding.
Many in Cuba are worried about the storm, whose tentacles are expected to reach the capital of Havana, which is grappling with a severe water shortage, piles of uncollected trash and chronic power outages.
Storm Helene is expected to move between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, then head north across the Gulf of Mexico.
Up to 20 centimeters of rain are expected in western Cuba and the Cayman Islands, with isolated accumulations of 30 centimeters. Up to 15 centimeters of rain are expected in eastern Yucatan, with isolated accumulations of more than 20 centimeters.
Heavy rain is also forecast for the southeastern United States starting Wednesday, threatening flash flooding and river flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center. Up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain is expected in the region, with isolated totals of 12 inches (30 centimeters).
Storm surge of up to 5 meters (15 feet) was expected from the Ochlockonee River in Florida to Chassahowitzka, and up to 3 meters (10 feet) from Chassahowitzka to the Anclote River and from Indian Pass to the Ochlockonee River.
Mexican authorities have offered a free ferry service to evacuate tourists from the coastal island of Holbox. The offer was made Tuesday by Mara Lezama, governor of the Caribbean state of Quintana Roo, home to resorts such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Holbox is known to tourists for its calm, shallow waters and colonies of pink flamingos. The island is prone to flooding.
According to Lezama, forecasters predict the storm will move just offshore and not make landfall in Mexico.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year. due to record ocean temperaturesIt predicts between 17 and 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
In the Pacific, former hurricane john A storm killed two people after it slammed into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, blowing tin roofs off homes, triggering mudslides and toppling dozens of trees, authorities said Tuesday.
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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press writers Andrea Rodríguez in Havana and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
