As of the 11 p.m. update, the tropical storm was located about 145 miles away from the western tip of Cuba. It was moving west-northwest at 10 mph.
Helene is expected to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea overnight and move into the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday. It is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.
“The new forecast calls for major hurricane category three strength by Thursday morning,” Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Amanda Holly said. “The forecast cone did shift slightly west and no longer includes the Tampa Bay coastline, but the NHC urges caution that track shifts east or west are still possible as Helene continues to organize.”
Watches and warnings
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
Indian Pass southward to Flamingo
Tampa Bay
Charlotte Harbor
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
Anclote River to Mexico Beach, Florida
Cabo Catoche to Tulum, Mexico
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
Cuban province of Pinar del Rio
Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
Dry Tortugas
Lower and Middle Florida Keys west of the Channel 5 Bridge
Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
Rio Lagartos to Tulum, Mexico
Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
Lake Okeechobee
Palm Beach/Martin County Line northward to the Savannah River
The storm is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rainfall with a isolated areas of around 10 inches over the southeastern U.S., according to the NHC.
“The impacts will be far reaching from the center, especially on the eastern side with tropical rain bands bringing strong wind gusts to the coast and heavy rain,” Holly said. “Storm surge could be significant from Sarasota county up to the Big Bend Thursday night and Friday morning. Isolated tornadoes are also possible in the outer rain bands.”
Areas that are a part of the Storm Surge watch can expect:
Ochlockonee River, FL to Chassahowitzka, FL: 10-15 feet
Chassahowitzka, FL to Anclote River, FL: 6-10 feet
Indian Pass, FL to Ochlockonee River, FL: 5-10 feet
Anclote River, FL to Middle of Longboat Key, FL: 5-8 feet
Tampa Bay: 5-8 feet
Middle of Longboat Key, FL to Englewood, FL: 4-7 feet
Englewood, FL to Bonita Beach, FL: 3-5 feet
Charlotte Harbor: 3-5 feet
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0