The hurricane was forecast to make landfall at Category 4 strength.
Hurricane Helene has continued to grow in intensity with sustained winds of over 110mph, just hours away from its projected arrival near the Big Bend area of the Florida panhandle. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned locals that Helene could cause a “life-threatening” storm surge of up to 20 feet along the Gulf Coast, as Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for several counties along its projected path.
While Helene will make landfall this evening, with the outer edge of the storm arriving at about 7pm CST, heavy rains and gale force winds will likely precede it by several hours. This is due to its uncommonly large size, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted, stating Helene’s “wind field extends as far as 275 miles from its center.” The impact of the storm will reach as far inland as the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina.
As of this afternoon, Helene is currently about 195 miles southwest of Tampa, and it’s growing stronger by the hour. The NHC’s 2pm EST advisory said it is “almost a major hurricane.” But don’t let the word “almost” fool you. While the catastrophic impact of Category 5 storms like Hurricane Michael, which completely destroyed some parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2018, is a worst-case scenario, a Category 4 hurricane can still be incredibly devastating.
