Hurricane Helene upgraded to Category 2 storm: Updates on its path

Hurricane Helene is now a Category 2 storm as it approaches the Florida with landfall expected later today.

(AP) Fast-moving Hurricane Helene was advancing Thursday across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, threatening an “unsurvivable” storm surge in northwestern parts of the state as well as damaging winds, rains and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.S., forecasters said.

Helene was upgraded Thursday morning to a Category 2 storm and is expected to be a major hurricane — meaning a Category 3 or higher — when it makes landfall on Florida's northwestern coast Thursday evening. As of early Thursday, hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into south-central Georgia. The governors of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas have all declared emergencies in their states.

The storm was expected to make landfall in the Big Bend region, where Florida’s panhandle and peninsula meet, according to Jack Beven, senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

“Regardless of how strong it is, it is a very large storm, Beven said. “It’s going to have impacts that cover a large area.”

The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Florida's Apalachee Bay. It added that high winds and heavy rains also posed risks.

“This forecast, if realized, is a nightmare surge scenario for Apalachee Bay,” the office said. “Please, please, please take any evacuation orders seriously!”

In Crawfordville, farther inland and about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Apalachee Bay, Christine Nazworth stocked up on bottled water, baked goods and premade meals at a Walmart. She said her family would be sheltering in place, despite Wakulla County issuing a mandatory evacuation order.

[onecompass]

Helene is same size as Katrina. Get out of it's path NOW

[DesertSessions]

When a hurricane makes it to Michigan.

[parrotsarnoso]

Looks like is heading to Tampa/St Pete

[viviangendernalik]

Miami, 9 am, pretty quiet here, all the wind/rain said thankfully didn't occur. 3 short squalls early morning hours, been quiet since 4 am. God willing it will not behave according to worse case scenario when it hits landfall.

[thatflipphoneguy]

Palm Beach 9AM Very strong winds and some rain

[TK__]

Thats the second thing this week that someone said I've never heard before. And I'm 65. He said "The Tennessee Valley. The Ohio Valley I've heard of from Colonial American days. It refers to the vast agricultural are between the Appalachians and the Great Lakes, centered on the Ohio River River of course. It turns out that meteorologists use the terms (ie Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley etc) because they are river valleys that are effected by and effect weather. Who new. (The other thing was Death Nail instead of Death Knell btw.)

[philchigges]

with the beard and shoes he looks like a stoner!!who dressed him!!