Time is running out for Floridians in the path of Helene, which threatens to hit as the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States in over a year.
Tropical Storm Helene formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea Tuesday morning and will set off on a breakneck pace of strengthening. It could take Helene just 48 hours to go from a 45 mph tropical storm to a Category 3 major hurricane as it rapidly intensifies over the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
This accelerated timeline means now is the time for Floridians to prepare for damaging winds, flooding rainfall and potentially life-threatening storm surge. There could also be shifts in Helene’s track in the coming days, the National Hurricane Center warned, and that could alter where its worst impacts occur.
The Southeast should prepare, too. Helene will also be exceptionally large and powerful and impact an area far beyond Florida. Torrential rain, strong winds capable of causing significant power outages and the threat of tornadoes will stretch into the region.
At least 3,000 members of the Florida National Guard are ready to assist with storm efforts and the Florida State Guard has been activated, DeSantis confirmed at a press conference Tuesday. Additionally, the state has “hundreds of Starlinks” to deploy in case internet access is lost, according to DeSantis.
Tropical storm-force wind gusts could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon for the Florida Keys and spread northward, reaching much of the Peninsula by Thursday morning at the earliest. Hurricane-force wind gusts could follow closely behind for many coastal areas.
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