Floridians along the Gulf Coast are bracing themselves as Hurricane Helene speeds toward them .
A forecast by the NHC has shown the hurricane approaching landfall Thursday night near Florida's Big Bend region. AccuWeather forecasters were predicting Helene would reach Category 4 strength − winds of 131 to 155 mph − in the Gulf of Mexico and maintain that intensity into landfall.
Ryan Truchelut, founder of WeatherTiger and a hurricane forecaster for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, said Helen is a storm without precedent.
"Helene stands toe-to-toe with any of the threats that Florida has faced over the past ten years or indeed really over hurricane history."
But will Helene be the worst storm to ever hit Florida? Or will the storm that currently holds that unfortunate title still maintain it? Here's what to know.
Has Hurricane Helen hit Florida yet? Where storm is expected to make landfall
No, Hurricane Helene has not landed yet. It is expected to make landfall close to midnight on Thursday. But its effects and outer bands were being felt across Florida on Thursday afternoon.
It is closing in on the state with landfall expected in the Big Bend area as a Category 3 right now. Helene is expected to slam into Florida as a massive Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 132-mph, according to the National Hurricane Center .
The storm poses dangers of life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and flash flooding along the entire west coast of Florida and the Big Bend, the NHC also reported. The highest inundation levels and potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds are expected along the Big Bend coast.
Is Helene on track to be the worst hurricane in Florida history?
While Helene will unleash its fury on Florida's Big Bend region, it is not on track to be the worst hurricane in the state's history.
However, it will likely be among the top of the list for Florida's worst hurricanes. The National Weather Service officials said the impacts of the storm would include widespread power outages, damage to infrastructure, damaged power lines, blocked roads and damage to structures.
Forecasters have already said it will be among the worst for other Southern states in its path.
“Helene is a very dangerous hurricane and could become a ‘once-in-a-generation storm’ across western South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as northern and eastern Georgia,” AccuWeather senior director of dorecasting operations Dan DePodwin, said.
What was the worst hurricane to hit Florida?
According to Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT), the worst hurricane in Florida's history happened almost 90 years ago.
The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck South Florida on Sept. 2, 1935. The Islamorada Times writes the storm reached its peak intensity of 892 mb and sustained winds of 185 mph as it made landfall between Miami and Key West.
"The damage it left in its wake was devastating. The destruction path was 40 miles wide from Key Largo to Marathon. Buildings and trees were leveled and destroyed. Even the railroad was destroyed and was never rebuilt," the Times wrote.
They also noted that 485 people perished due to the hurricane, half of which were World War I veterans hired to work on the railroad. It is also considered one of the worst hurricanes in U.S. history
Did you heard of or experienced these hurricanes? See other top storms in Florida history
Florida has seen a lot of deadly, nasty storms since the infamous Labor Day hurricane. According to Click Orlando , here are some of the worst:
Hurricane Andrew - 1992
Andrew made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in Dade County on Aug. 24 1992. It had maximum sustained winds at landfall of 165 mph and had a death toll of 65 across the affected regions.
Andrew is the ninth costliest hurricane in U.S. history at $27 billion in damages.
Hurricane Michael - 2018
So far, Hurricane Michael is the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained wind of 160 mph and a minimum pressure of 919 millibars. It hit Mexico Beach on Oct. 10 of 2018 as a Category 5 and saw roughly $18.4 billion in damages.
Hurricane Ian - 2022
Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida almost two years ago on Sept. 28, 2022 as one of the deadliest hurricanes in the state since the Labor Day Hurricane. After making landfall in Cayo Casto as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, Ian ended up solely responsible for over $100 billion in damage and the deaths of 161 people.
Hurricane Charley - 2004
Hurricane Charley was one of the four separate hurricanes to impact Florida during 2004, hitting Lee County as well. It reached 150 mph and directly caused 10 deaths, as well as $16.9 billion in damage
Okeechobee Hurricane - 1928
Six years before the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Weather.gov shares that the " Okeechobee Hurricane " struck South Florida on Sept. 16 of 1928. Coastal Palm Beach County saw severe damage, especially in the Jupiter area where the eye wall of the hurricane persisted longer than at any other location because of where the storm crossed the coast. A storm surge around 10 feet with waves likely as high as 20 feet crashed into the barrier islands including Palm Beach.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Will Hurricane Helene be the worst hurricane in Florida history? Here are the nastiest
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