Severe storms, tornadoes, fierce wind, flooding as hurricane to cut wide path of damage Southeast US

Photo byTropical Tidbits

The Southeast & the Deep South are bracing for Hurricane Helene Thursday and Friday. This is somewhat of an usual situation where a hurricane will be impacting both the coast and inland areas in a big way. This storm will bring flooding rains and destructive severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to Florida, Georgia, Northwest South Carolina, Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and Western Alabama. One of the unusual aspects of this storm is that it will be accelerating inland which will slow the weakening. Destructive winds could spread as far north as Northern Georgia and Northwest South Carolina.

Photo byNational Hurricane Center

Helene will be no ordinary hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Northern Florida late Thursday. It will likely reach category 3 status (115 mph+ winds) and could possibly reach category 4 status (130 mph+) before doing so. The presence of a strong upper air low pressure system in the Lower Mississippi Valley is helping to create a large hurricane in terms of geographic size.

A large part of the Southeast US and the Deep South will be dealing with potentially serious and destructive impacts from Hurricane Helene. Extensive storm surge issues will occur along much of the west coast of Florida as well as the coast of the Florida Big Bend into the eastern portion of the Florida Panhandle.

Photo byweather prediction center

Rainfall from Helene will be extensive and could produce serious and potentially catastrophic flooding. Of partucular concern are the mountains of Western North Carolina, Northwest South Carolina and Northern Georgia where southeast winds into the mountains will create orographic lift and wring out tons of moisture from the atmosphere. 1 foot of rain or more is possible in these areas. Flooding rains will extend across Northern Georgia into parts of Western Alabama.

Photo byNational Hurricane Center

Model forecasts have been inching further west with the main track into North Florida near Apalachicola Florida as a point of direct landfall. Then the storm center continues to accelerate through Western Georgia and then loops back westward into Tennessee as a weakening tropical storm and eventually a remnant tropical depression by Friday night or Saturday. This opens the door for severe weather and elevated tornado risk.

Photo bystorm prediction center

The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting the potential for a robust severe weather outbreak Thursday into Friday for just about the entire state of Florida, Central and Southern Georgia and much of South Carolina and southern portions of North Carolina. Enhanced risk means there is a 30 percent chance for severe thunderstorms with 25 miles of any point inside the risk zone. Tornado risk is elevated as well with risks rising to 10 percent in the enhanced risk zone and a 5 percent risk in the slight risk zone. These may sound like small numbers but they aren't. We strongly advise residents of Florida (especially the Panhandle & the Florida Big Bend to heed warnings and act accordingly. Inland residents into Georgia, even in Northern Georgia including the Atlanta metro area, to take steps to protect your home from the risks of flooding rain as well as the risks from unusually strong wind gusts Thursday night into Friday.