HOUSTON – Helene has strengthened into a hurricane. On 10AM Wednesday the National Weather Service determined that the storm now has maximum sustained winds of 80mh. This puts Helene as a category 1 hurricane.
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Through the day today, Helene is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane before making landfall Thursday. The exceptionally warm Gulf Stream waters will significantly contribute to this intensification.
The forecast cone indicates where the center of the storm is expected to make landfall, but impacts can extend well beyond that point.
Let’s start with the storm surge impacts. Our partners at qrisq.com show a high storm surge where the center of the storm hits. In this forecast it is in the big bend with a 20′+ surge!
The wind threat is large. Some of the tropical storm-force winds will likely reach the east coast of Florida. The possibility exits of 110 mph plus winds at the center and to the right of the storm.
Rainfall totals ranging from 6 to 12 inches will fall along the storm’s centerline. This will lead to flash flooding on top of the storm surge.
The predicted path and strength of Helene highlight the importance of staying updated with the latest weather information.
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