Hurricane Helene continues to intensify. Here's what people in Florida need to know.
MIAMI - Hurricane Helene is expected to slam into Florida's Big Bend coast on Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane, prompting a series of watches and warnings across the state as forecasters expect the storm to unleash life-threatening conditions.
Hurricane and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
Strong winds already cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the state, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
The storm's wrath was felt Thursday afternoon, with water lapping over a road on the northern tip of Siesta Key near Sarasota and covering some intersections in St. Pete Beach along Florida's Gulf Coast. Lumber and other debris from a fire in Cedar Key a week ago was crashing ashore in the rising water.
The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.
Federal authorities were staging search-and-rescue teams as the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and warned they could be particularly "catastrophic and unsurvivable" in Apalachee Bay.
The storm is forecast to bring "catastrophic winds and storm surge," the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.
"It will be a dangerous major hurricane," said NEXT Weather meteorologist KC Sherman.
"Helene will remain a very large and growing storm, with the wind field expected to span over 400 miles at it's largest point," meteorologist Sherman said. "So it is important to remember that while center is projected to make landfall along the Big Bend, significant impacts will be felt up and down the west coast of Florida extending well outside of the center."
The hurricane center's forecast cone shows Helene moving north in the panhandle Thursday night. From there it is forecast to pass into Alabama and Georgia.
"Dangerous" storm surge," flooding risks
"Life-threatening storm surge will remain a significant threat for the Big Bend of Florida all the way down the west coast of Florida," said Sherman.
Storm surge on Florida's Gulf Coast could reach 15 to 20 feet near the storm's landfall, according to the National Hurricane Center. Apalachicola to Carrabelle could see 10 to 15 feet, while Tampa Bay and the area from the Anclote River to the middle of Longboat Key could see 5 to 8 feet. Charlotte Harbor and Naples could see up to 5 feet of storm surge.
The hurricane center says Helene could drop as much as 12 inches of rain over the southeastern U.S. into the southern Appalachians, with some areas seeing around 18 inches.
"This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding," the hurricane center said.
Tornados are also a threat.
"The risk for several tornadoes will gradually increase today through tonight," the hurricane center said in a Thursday advisory. "The greatest threat is expected from parts of northern Florida into southeast Georgia, the Midlands and Low Country of South Carolina, and southern North Carolina."
South Florida forecast
While South Florida was not in the storm's direct path, the region began to feel its impact on Wednesday evening.
The tri-county area started to feel the fringe impacts as gusty, tropical bands of rain moved through.
Thursday afternoon was very windy, with gusts up to 50 mph in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, and up to 60 mph in the Keys.
Bands of heavy rain will continue through Friday and up to 4 inches of rain are expected. There may be some locally heavier spots, particularly in areas that receive "training" rain bands that move over the same area for a prolonged period of time.
Saltwater flooding from storm surge will only be a threat in the Keys, where 1 to 3 feet of storm surge will be possible at high tide through Thursday. A coastal flood warning has been issued for the Keys.
State of emergency
Gov. DeSantis declared a state of emergency earlier this week for 61 of 67 counties in Florida. President Joe Biden approved a Florida emergency declaration on Tuesday, which authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and includes assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support.
Federal authorities have positioned generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue teams.
DeSantis' order also activated the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to assist in the storm's aftermath. About 18,000 utility line workers were being pre-positioned to help restore power when conditions were safe, and the governor said Wednesday that 12 health care facilities had been evacuated.
Several counties on Florida's west and northwestern coasts have issued evacuation orders, and many schools, offices and businesses were closed as Helene moved north through the Gulf on Thursday.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued at the University of Tampa. Other universities have been impacted, including the University of Florida, which canceled classes for Thursday.
Hollywood and Miami Beach also allowed residents to park in public garages for free if they were concerned about flooding.
All public schools in Broward and Monroe Counties were closed on Thursday. Miami-Dade public schools remained open.
