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Florida is bracing for “unsurvivable” storm surge as Hurricane Helene is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall later today.
Just over a month after Storm Debby hurtled into the Sunshine State, Hurricane Helene now threatens to become the strongest storm to hit the US in over a year. It is expected to make landfall near Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday.
Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 2 storm, has 105mph winds as of Thursday morning, with sustained winds potentially building up to 135mph. Florida officials are warning residents to brace for life-threatening rain, floods and storm surge.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and several areas remain under hurricane warnings. Florida’s Big Bend will see the worst of the storm surge, with up to 20ft possible this week.
On Wednesday, Florida Senator Rick Scott told residents that those in the path of the storm surge won’t survive.
“In the Big Bend, they’re talking about possibly 18ft of storm surge,” Scott said in Taylor County. “I’m a little over six feet — that’s three times my height. None of us are living that….You’re not going to survive.”
Florida’s hardest-hit spots could be ‘unsurvivable’
Some of the hardest-hit spots on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where storm surge could reach 20ft-high, could create an “unsurvivable scenario” for those remaining along the coastline, according to the National Hurricane Center’s director, Michael Brennan.
Hurricane Helene is about 255 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, and is moving at approximately 14mph. Wind speeds have exceeded 105mph and they’re expect to continue climb near Category 4 hurricane levels by this evening.
“That speed is going to increase to over 20 miles per hour by the time Helene makes landfall later this evening,” Brennan said during a live broadcast at about 11am ET.
Watch live as ‘catastrophic’ Hurricane Helene set to make landfall in Florida
Tucker Carlson’s South Carolina live show alongside Marjorie Taylor Greene cancelled
Tucker Carlson’s live event at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, which was set for Thursday evening has been cancelled due to Hurricane Helene.
The show, aptly named Tucker Carlson Live 2024, promised an “interesting and fun as hell” night as the former Fox News presenter was set to be joined with firebrand Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Instead of watching Carlson chat with the Georgia representative, those who purchased tickets to the Greenville leg of Carlson’s first live tour will receive a refund.
Just in: Helene to make landfall as ‘very large’ hurricane with deadly storm surge at Florida’s Big Bend tonight
‘Nobody in recent memory has seen a storm of this magnitude,’ DeSantis says
Just moments after appearing live on Fox News, Ron DeSantis said at a press conference that “nobody in recent memory has seen a storm of this magnitude,” in northern Florida.
The Florida Governor made the remarks ahead of Hurricane Helene, which is now a Category 2 storm, reaching Florida’s Gulf Coast which is expected to happen later today.
One Helene makes landfall, it is possible that it could again be upgraded to a near-Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds in excess of 130mph, aoccrinding to the National Hurricane Center.
Watch: Dramatic satellite images show Hurricane Helene as it charts path toward Florida
Mapped: Charting Hurricane Helene’s path as Florida braces for landfall
Floridians are currently bracing for catastrophic winds and storm surge as Hurricane Helene is forecast to make landfall along the state’s west coast on Thursday as a potential Category 4 storm.
Forecasters have warned that Helene will strike near Florida’s Big Bend region at some point this evening.
Myriam Page has more…
Hurricane Helene set to become Category 3 storm this afternoon
Helene is expected to be upgraded to a Category 3 storm at this afternoon before then intensifying further to a near-Category 4 storm later this evening, upon potentially making landfall at Florida’s Big Bend.
A Category 3 hurricane sees wind speeds surpass 111mph up to 129mph, the National Hurricane Center says. “Devastating damage will occur,” according to the definition the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale.
If Helene strengthens to a Category 4 hurricane, it is likely “catastrophic damage will occur”. Sustained winds in a Catergoy 4 hurricane could be anywhere from 130mph to 156mph.
Tornadoes ‘likely’ in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
The National Weather Service’s tornado branch has issued a tornado watch for parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
The separate alerts, which are valid until 8pm ET in Florida and 9pm in Georgia and South Carolina this evening, outlines that “several tornadoes are likely” across the states. No hail is expected.
More than 17.5m people will potentially be exposed to tornadoes in Florida, including an estimated 3,305 schools and 224 hospitals.
While in Georgia and South Carolina, more than 3.5m residents, 906 schools and 86 hospitals are in the potential path.
See NWS Tornado’s updates below:
‘Time is running out to evacuate’: Ron DeSantis gives Floridians urgent warning in Fox News interview
Source: independent.co.uk
