Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday night as a category 4 hurricane, heavily impacting the state's Big Bend coast with winds at 140 mph.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that "inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves." "There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so," adds a passage of the body's guidance.
The NHC added throughout the day that Helene was almost becoming a major hurricane and expected to strengthen before making landfall. "EVERYONE along the Florida Big Bend coast is at risk of potentially catastrophic storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds," it said.
Helene was registering maximum winds of 125 mph throughout the day after becoming a category 3 hurricane. Cities in Southwest Florida like Naples and Fort Myers were already under several inches of water on Thursday before landfall. The state capital of Tallahassee is expected to sustain winds of over 100 mph. The southern half of the state is also under a tornado watch.
Practically the entire state is reached by a state of emergency declared by Governor Ron DeSantis, who cited risks associated with the system's development, including concerns about coastal erosion, widespread power outages and damage to roadways, hospitals and schools.
🚨#BREAKING - MASSIVE WIND AND RAIN IN PERRY AS #HELENE MAKES LANDFALL #HurricaneHelene https://t.co/armVerBA59
— DivaPatriot 🇺🇸 (@TeamAmerica2020) September 27, 2024
Due to abnormally warm waters, some prediction models expected Helene to turn into a Category 4 major Hurricane, and they were right. With this in mind, DeSantis urged Floridians to prepare by filling gas tanks, stocking up on food and becoming familiar with evacuation zones.
Sandbags were also distributed to residents in Tallahassee, Gulfport, and Henrico County ahead of potential flooding. The state has also deployed Florida National Guard soldiers as well as search and rescue teams.
Landfall #Helene pic.twitter.com/BKNRXjG4w5
— Paul Medica (@PaulMedica) September 27, 2024
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