Authorities have declared a State of Emergency for the USA state of Florida as Hurricane Helene intensifies into an extremely dangerous Category 4 system with a storm surge warning in place for all of the southern and western coasts.

Published 16 hours ago

Extremely Dangerous Category 4 Hurricane

The USA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) has classed Helene as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 130 mph.

Helene is one of the largest storms in the Gulf of Mexico in the last century, with a wind field that could span roughly the distance between Indianapolis and Washington, DC. Its huge size will result in higher storm surge and dangerous winds that stretch well inland.

Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect across coastal areas of southern Florida and a storm surge warning is in effect for almost all of Florida’s west coast, where surging waters described as “unsurvivable” could reach as high as 20 feet in places.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said landfall was expected  in the state’s Big Bend region, between the Wakulla-Jefferson County line and Taylor County.  A state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties and several are under evacuation orders.

The NHC said storm was moving north-northeast at 23 mph with tropical storm warnings  extending all the way to parts of North Carolina.

Florida is still recovering from Category 1 Hurricane Debby which hit the state in early August and residents can only “prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

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Related News:

• Storm Now a Dangerous Category 4 as it Nears Florida (NBC News)
• Florida to see Life-Threatening Surge from Hurricane Helene (The Weather Channel)
• Tropical Storms Batter Mexico’s Pacific and Caribbean Coasts (Noonsite)

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Related Links

• National Hurricane Center
• Noonsite Weather Resources

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