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Hurricane Helene, a "gargantuan" storm, is intensifying as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, heading for a forecasted landfall over Florida's Big Bend Coast on Thursday evening. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that the hurricane is expected to bring catastrophic winds and storm surge to the northeastern Gulf Coast.
"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the NHC urged in a statement.
As of 7 p.m. ET, Helene was upgraded to an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph. The storm was located about 110 miles west of Tampa and moving north-northeast at 23 mph.
Hurricane-force winds are extending outward up to 60 miles from the storm's center, and tropical-storm-force winds are extending outward up to 345 miles.
The National Weather Service has warned of a "catastrophic and deadly storm surge" along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves. There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surges along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. Residents in these areas are urged to follow the advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stated that the state has not had a major hurricane hit in quite some time, and certainly, nobody in recent memory has seen a storm of this magnitude. He has urged residents to make preparations and put their plans in place as time is running out.
After making landfall, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday. Weakening is expected after landfall, but Helene's 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.
Rainfall is also expected to be a significant issue. 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 18 inches. This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians.