Hurricane Helene is projected to strengthen into a devastating Category 4 storm before hitting Florida on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm surge is anticipated to reach up to 20 feet in some coastal areas.
Helene could be the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. in over a year, and residents in its path are running out of time to prepare. "Efforts to safeguard life and property from storm surge and dangerous winds along the Florida Big Bend coastline should be completed today," warned the hurricane center.
After rapidly intensifying into a hurricane on Wednesday, Helene is expected to continue gaining strength as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures are at record highs. Rapid intensification, like Helene is experiencing, is becoming more common as climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, warms the planet.
By Thursday afternoon, wind speeds are expected to exceed 130 mph, with the possibility of further strengthening just before landfall. The storm's center – where the most powerful winds occur – is likely to hit the Apalachicola area in Florida on Thursday evening. However, the storm’s eye is just part of the concern.
Helene is forecast to expand into a massive, sprawling storm system as it heads north, with impacts stretching beyond Florida to much of the Southeast U.S. The storm has already triggered evacuations for thousands of Florida residents, and nearly the entire state is under storm warnings. Helene is expected to unleash torrential rain, damaging winds, and life-threatening storm surge across the region.
On Wednesday, Helene wreaked havoc in parts of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and Cuba, causing severe flooding in Quintana Roo and pounding coastal areas with powerful waves. In Cuba, more than 50,000 people lost power in Pinar del Río province due to the storm’s strong winds.
The damage could be even worse as Helene approaches the U.S. It will be the fourth hurricane to hit the U.S. this year and the fifth to strike Florida since 2022.
“If you’re a believer, now’s the time to pray,” said Port Richey resident Rick Way to CNN affiliate WFTS, concerned about the potential for widespread flooding.
But Helene could bring impacts far more severe than Hurricane Idalia or other recent storms. Experts, including hurricane specialist Michael Lowry, warn that Helene could become one of the largest storms the Gulf of Mexico has seen in the past century. The storm’s wind field might stretch as far as from Washington, DC to Indianapolis, meaning wider storm surge and impacts far inland, even if the storm’s center remains offshore.
"This storm will be unlike anything we’ve faced before," the Taylor County, Florida Sheriff’s Office stated.
By Wednesday afternoon, the storm’s outer bands brought rain and tropical storm-force gusts to parts of the Florida Keys. These conditions will spread north and east across the state, reaching the Tampa area by Wednesday night.
Tropical rainfall and strong gusts are expected to impact much of the Florida Peninsula by Thursday morning, followed by hurricane-force winds along coastal areas, including Tampa, by Thursday evening.
Helene’s enormous size is increasing the risk of dangerous storm surge. Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered in at least 15 coastal counties. The most severe surge is expected in the Big Bend area, where water levels could rise up to 18 feet. Tampa could see up to 8 feet of surge, potentially breaking water level records set by Hurricane Idalia last year. South Florida may also face up to 5 feet of storm surge, while Tampa Bay and Clearwater could experience new record highs, with water levels 1 to 2 feet higher than Idalia’s.
Helene’s destructive path is not expected to end at Florida’s coastline.