On Tuesday, hurricane warnings and warnings for storm surges of up to 15 feet were issued for almost the entire west coast of Florida. as Tropical Storm Helene formed over the Caribbean Sea and headed toward the Gulf Coast.
Helene, previously designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, officially formed Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. warning. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Wednesday and authorities are urging the population to prepare and exercise caution.
The hurricane warning extends from Indian Pass in northwest Florida near Panama City down to Englewood and includes Tampa Bay.
At 11 a.m. ET, the weather system was located about 180 miles east, southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It is moving northwest at 12 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
If it is further upgraded, it will It was the fourth hurricane to hit the United States this year.
The center of the storm According to the NHC, the storm is expected to move across the northwestern Caribbean through Tuesday night and the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are currently in effect for the entire west coast of the Sunshine State.
In addition, a storm surge warning was issued for the area from Indian Pass in Florida southward to Flamingo at the tip of the Florida peninsula.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are possible. It is usually issued 48 hours before tropical storm-force winds and conditions are expected to arrive.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from Indian Pass to the Walton-Bay County line and from north of Bonita Beach to south of Englewood, as well as the Lower Florida Keys.
Outside the United States, a hurricane warning also applies to parts of eastern Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum and Pinar del Río in Cuba.
Helene is expected to bring 4 to 8 inches of rain to western Cuba and the Cayman Islands, with isolated amounts of 12 inches. The southeastern United States is expected to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 10 inches. It is likely to cause flash flooding and urban flooding. It is also expected to cause storm surges and strong tides that will lead to flooding as rising waters move inland from the coast, the NHC said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 41 counties on Monday. which was expanded to 61 counties on Tuesday. Sandbags were is distributed to residents of Tallahassee, Gulfport and Henrico County ahead of possible flooding.
DeSantis said he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an emergency declaration before landfall. The governor warned that forecast models range from the development of a tropical storm to a possible Category 4 hurricane.
Models show that the Big Bend and Panhandle areas should prepare for possible direct impacts, he said.
He urged Florida residents to prepare by filling their gas tanks, stocking up on food, cleaning up their yards to prevent strong winds from kicking up debris and familiarizing themselves with evacuation zones. So far, 18,000 electricians are ready to restore power, 3,000 National Guard troops are standing by to help, and the Florida State Guard has also been activated, along with shallow water boats and search and rescue crews.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a highly active hurricane season, predicting 17 to 24 named storms, eight to 13 of which could develop into hurricanes, including four to seven major hurricanes.
The hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30. Reasons for the high activity include higher than average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, lower vertical wind shear, weaker tropical trade winds in the Atlantic, and a strengthened West African monsoon.
In the case of Helene, record-warm waters will fuel the disturbance’s intensification. According to Climate Central, exceptionally high sea surface temperatures have become at least 200 to 500 times more likely along the system’s projected path through the northern Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico due to human-caused climate change. Rapidly intensifying hurricanes are becoming more common in the warmer world.
The last three hurricanes to hit the United States were Beryl, which made landfall in Texas in June, Debby, which made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida and again in South Carolina in August, and Francine, which made landfall in Louisiana on September 11.
If Helene does indeed develop into a hurricane, it would be the fifth hurricane to reach Florida in three years, according to the Florida Climate Center.
