Top line
Tropical Storm Helene in the Caribbean Sea was “near hurricane strength” Wednesday morning and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by the time it reaches the Gulf Coast Thursday, the National Hurricane Center warned.
Tropical Storm Helene strengthened over the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon.
Key facts
The storm, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Cancun, triggered a hurricane warning for the Florida coast and extended tropical storm warnings and watches to northern Georgia and South Carolina.
A hurricane warning is in effect Wednesday morning for the Gulf Coast of Florida from the Anclote River to Mexico Beach and the coast of Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum and Cozumel.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida Keys, Tampa Bay and the east coast of Florida from Flamingo north to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
A tropical storm watch covers the Georgia and South Carolina coasts north of Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River.
The National Hurricane Center also issued a storm warning for Florida from Flamingo to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, with higher gusts, and forecasters predict it will strengthen rapidly over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
The system is expected to become a major hurricane by the time it reaches the United States on Thursday, with winds of about 120 mph and rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated totals of up to 15 inches, which “will likely result in areas of significant flash and urban flooding.”
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Did Helen Cause Evacuation Orders in Florida?
Yes. As of Tuesday night, shortly before 5 p.m. ET, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders had been issued in 13 counties. Six counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders: Charlotte, Franklin, Gulf, Manatee, Pinellas and Wakulla counties. Nearly the entire state is under a state of emergency declaration.
Does Helen have an impact on airlines?
Airlines have issued travel alerts about the storm and are allowing potentially affected passengers to change their plans without fees, including United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier.
What should you pay attention to?
Meteorologists warn that Helene’s effects could be felt well inland, due to an unusually large wind field and heavy rain, which could bring “a risk of landslides in the southern Appalachians.”
Crucial Quote
“There is a risk of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Big Bend,” the National Hurricane Center said. “The highest flood levels are expected along the Florida Big Bend coast. Residents in these areas should follow the advice of local authorities and evacuate if instructed to do so.”
Key context
Helene is the eighth named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, coming just weeks after Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 on Sept. 11. The only tropical storm to form between the two, named Gordon, lost strength in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday. Forecasters predicted this year’s busiest storm season (June 1 to Nov. 30) that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever forecast — up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes — but the season hasn’t been as active as expected so far.
Further reading
