Thursday, Sep 26: Latest update on Category 3 Hurricane Helene from the National Hurricane Center
Article first published: Thursday, Sep. 26, 2024, 5 a.m. ET
Article last updated: Thursday, Sep. 26, 2024, 5 p.m. ET
According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 pm Thursday advisory, Category 3 Hurricane Helene is 130 miles west of Tampa Florida and 175 miles south of Tallahassee Florida, with maximum sustained wind of 125 mph. It’s moving 23 mph to the north-northeast.
"After landfall, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday." according to forecasters. "Additional strengthening is expected, and Helene will likely be an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane at landfall." They also said "Weakening is expected after Helene moves inland, but the fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians."
There were many developments today: Helene changed first into a Category 2 hurricane and then into a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 miles per hour.
YESTERDAY (Wednesday):
Yesterday, Helene transitioned from the Caribbean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico. Helene became a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph after intensifying from a tropical storm
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- Mexico Beach eastward and southward to Flamingo
- Tampa Bay
- Charlotte Harbor
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Anclote River to Mexico Beach
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
- Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Florida Keys, including the Dry Tortugas
- Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
- West of Mexico Beach to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
- Flamingo northward to Little River Inlet
- Lake Okeechobee
A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials.
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:
STORM SURGE: The combination of a life-threatening storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...
Carrabelle, FL to Suwannee River, FL...15-20 ft Apalachicola, FL to Carrabelle, FL...10-15 ft Suwannee River, FL to Chassahowitzka, FL...10-15 ft Chassahowitzka, FL to Anclote River, FL...8-12 ft Indian Pass, FL to Apalachicola, FL...6-10 ft Anclote River, FL to Middle of Longboat Key, FL...5-8 ft Tampa Bay...5-8 ft Middle of Longboat Key, FL to Englewood, FL...4-7 ft East of Mexico Beach, FL to Indian Pass, FL...3-5 ft Englewood, FL to Flamingo, FL...3-5 ft Charlotte Harbor...3-5 ft
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.
For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml? PeakSurge.
WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area this evening. Tropical storm conditions are occurring in the southern and central Florida, and these conditions are expected to spread northward across the tropical storm warning areas in the Southeastern U.S. through early Friday. Strong, damaging winds,
Especially in gusts, will likely penetrate as far inland as the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.
RAINFALL: Over portions of the Southeastern U.S. into the Southern Appalachians, Helene is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with isolated totals around 20 inches. This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous significant landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians. For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Hurricane Helene, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml? Rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml? Ero.
For a list of rainfall observations (and wind reports) associated this storm, see the companion storm summary at WBCSCCNS4 with the WMO header ACUS44 KWBC or at the following link: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc4.html.
TORNADOES: The risk for several tornadoes continues through tonight over much of Florida, southeast Georgia, central and southern South Carolina, and southern North Carolina. The tornado risk will continue Friday across the Carolinas and southern Virginia.
SURF: Swells generated by Helene will affect much of Florida and the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Source: National Hurricane Center
This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com.
