What we know about hurricane
Helene is gaining strength as it heads toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, having developed into a Category 1 hurricane earlier today. It is forecasted to strike Florida's Big Bend region late tomorrow.
The storm is expected to intensify rapidly, potentially reaching Category 3 or even Category 4 status by the time it makes landfall.
A storm surge warning is in effect for the Florida Keys and much of Florida’s west coast, with the potential for life-threatening flooding. Surge levels could reach as high as 20 feet.
As of 7 p.m. ET, Helene was located approximately 430 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, moving north at 12 mph.
Evacuation orders have been issued in several counties, and the National Hurricane Center has emphasized that this is "a life-threatening situation.
Tropical storm-force winds now extend 345 miles from the center of Hurricane Helene
Due to the massive size of Hurricane Helene, national forecasters have issued tropical storm warnings across a vast portion of the Southeast.
As of this evening, tropical storm-force winds stretched 345 miles from the hurricane's center as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The warnings now encompass nearly all of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and extend into Western North Carolina. Portions of Alabama are also under the alert.
"Notice how far inland these tropical storm warnings go. It's uncommon for us to issue warnings this deep inland or for this region of the country," said Jamie Rhome, Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center, during a briefing.
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