DEVELOPING STORY: Helene strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday as it was leaving the Caribbean Sea on a path toward the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The hurricane was expected to become more powerful as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph Wednesday, making it a Category 1 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane center uses five categories for hurricanes and considers storms that are at least a Category 3, with sustained winds over 110 mph, to be a major hurricane.
Long lines of traffic coming out of the Tampa Bay area into central Florida. #Helene will cause major issues along the entire Florida Gulf Coast, evacuate if told to do so! pic.twitter.com/rOrIettMFn
— Bryce Shelton (@BryceShelton01) September 25, 2024
“We think that significant strengthening is going to occur here over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, potentially taking this to a Category 3 or major hurricane,” Jamie Rhome, a deputy director at the hurricane center, told CBS News on Wednesday.
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In the hardest-hit coastline communities, well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking, the hurrican center said. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking roadways. Electricity and water will likely be unavailable for several days to even weeks after the storm passes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Wednesday that thousands of lineworkers were coming to the state to restore power after the storm passes.
“It is anticipated that there is going to be power outages, so folks have an opportunity to plan for that now,” DeSantis said. “You still have time to make the preparations and put your plan in place today, but that time is running out.”
The storm was expected to bring “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rains to a large portion of Florida and the southeastern United States,” the National Hurricane Center said.
In Florida’s Big Bend area, from Carrabelle to Chassahowitzka, forecasters expected the water to reach 10-15 feet above ground if the storm surge‘s peak occurred at the same time as high tide. Other areas could see anywhere from 3-10 feet of water, the hurricane center warned.
“The water impacts are probably going to be the most impactful part of the storm, the most deadly part of the storm,” Rhome said.
“It’s a big, big storm,” DeSantis said. “Many people will lose power … be prepared for that.”
Watches and warnings were issued throughout Florida ahead of the storm. President Biden and DeSantis declared emergencies in the state earlier in the week, and evacuation orders were issued in several counties. At the University of Tampa, officials were trying to evacuate all residential students by Wednesday afternoon.
Helene is expected to make landfall on Thursday, and it won’t just affect Florida, Rhome said.
“I’m really concerned that southern Georgia is going to have a big impact well beyond where the center makes landfall,” Rhome told CBS News.
A fleet of ambulances evacuating this Pinellas County Hospital that sits in Zone A (very susceptible to storm surge) Also, a large water dam is being set up around the building #BREAKING #Evacuations #Helene #FLwx pic.twitter.com/JMpwGEx2rM
— Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala) September 25, 2024