Updated storm track near the Gulf of Florida

With strong winds of 210 km/h, Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida late Thursday as a devastating Category 4 storm.

After reaching hurricane status on Wednesday, the system will bring “catastrophic and deadly storm surge” to parts of the state’s Big Bend coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Meteorologists warn that Helene will bring destructive waves and flooding, possibly as high as 20 feet above ground level.

“Weakening is expected following landfall, but Helene’s rapid forward speed will allow strong, destructive winds, particularly in gusts, to penetrate well into the interior of the southeastern United States, including the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians,” the center said in an 8 p.m. ET update.

According to AccuWeather, Helene is expected to reach the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend region late Thursday. Where Helene makes landfall, 8-12 inches of rain is expected, with as much as 24 inches of rain possible in some isolated areas.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Helene’s path includes urban areas such as Tallahassee, Florida, and Atlanta, as well as Asheville, North Carolina.

Helene’s forecast is one of the “most aggressive” in hurricane history

Helene’s prediction of rapid intensification from a potential tropical cyclone to a Category 3 hurricane starting Tuesday appeared to be the fastest development the National Hurricane Center had ever predicted for a low-pressure system.

“They had never forecast a major hurricane within 60 hours for a sub-tropical storm disturbance,” Sam Lillo, a meteorologist and software engineer at DTN Weather, told USA TODAY on Tuesday, based on a computer analysis of the center’s historical forecast data. “The entire forecast is also basically faster than you’ve ever seen for 36 hours and 48 hours after a tropical depression.”

Helene is the fifth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. Late Thursday will be the fifth year in a row that a major hurricane has hit the U.S. mainland, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

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Watch and warnings apply to Florida

Here’s a look at the watches and warnings in effect in Florida.

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Hurricane Helene spaghetti models

The figures show a range of forecasting tools and models, and not all are the same. The Hurricane Center uses only the four or five best performing models for its forecasts.

Hurricane Helene in live stream

Follow live as Hurricane Helene moves north along the Mexican Gulf Coast.

Contributors: Dinah Voyles Pulver, John Bacon, Cheryl McCloud, Jeff Burlew, Christopher Cann and Jorge L. Ortiz

Updated storm track near the Gulf of Florida

ByJasper

Helene’s forecast is one of the “most aggressive” in hurricane history

Watch and warnings apply to Florida

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Hurricane Helene spaghetti models

Hurricane Helene in live stream

By Jasper

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