Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Panama City News Herald
Live updates on Thursday: Panama City and Bay County brace for Hurricane Helene
By Dylan Gentile, Nathan Cobb, DeonTay Smith and Tyler Orsburn, Panama City News Herald,
14 hours ago
(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday night along Florida's Big Bend coast. It could be at Category 3 or even Category 4 strength by then. As of Thursday morning, Bay County was under a flood watch and coastal Bay was under a tropical storm warning. This includes Panama City, Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach, Lynn Haven and Bayou George. The forecast calls for 25-35 mph winds with gusts to 50 mph. Stay tuned here for the latest updates.
With Hurricane Helene bringing heavy rain to the area, both Panama City and Bay County have flash flood warnings until 12:15 a.m. Friday.
"Please avoid travel on the roadways as flash flooding is likely to occur, and especially now that it's dark out and harder to see," Panama City officials said in a Thursday evening Facebook post. "The US National Weather Service Tallahassee Florida notes in their warning that 'continued heavy rainfall ahead of Hurricane Helene and additional rain bands are expected to overspread the warned areas as Helene nears the Florida Big Bend coast tonight."
Areas at risk of flash flooding, include small creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, and other regions with poor drainage, the post notes.
To report flooding in Panama City, call the Panama City Police Department's non-emergency dispatch line at 850-872-3112.
According to a Thursday evening Facebook post from the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Hurricane Helene has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm as it continues its approach to the Big Bend area.
"Conditions will rapidly deteriorate in the next few hours," the post reads. "Now is the time to get in the shelter and take cover from the storm.
In a Facebook post at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, officials with the Bay County Sheriff's office noted that at least two local roads already have flooded as Hurricane Helene makes its approach to the Florida coast. They are:
Azalea Street at State 231, which remained under water by about 7 p.m.
County 231 at County 231 and State 77, which flooded but became passable by about 7 p.m.
According to the afternoon update from the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Hurricane Helene is continuing on its northeastern path toward the Big Bend area, where it is slated to make landfall this evening.
"Nothing has really changed in regards to the track," Felecia Bowser, an NWS meteorologist, said. "What has changed is that it is now a Category 3 hurricane (with) max sustained winds speeds of about 125 miles an hour."
Bowser noted Helene is moving at about 25 mph, which means it will quickly pass through the area.
It is expected to locally generate tropical storm-force winds, about 3-5 inches of rain and about 1- to 3-foot storm surges on the most western end of the county in Mexico Beach.
"Even though the center of the storm is not going to be making contact with Bay County ... because of its size, the impacts are going to be felt for hundreds of miles," Bowser said.
In a Thursday afternoon email, Kristen Kennedy, spokesperson for Panama City, said residents and businesses that experience structural flooding from Hurricane Helene should contact Jennifer Aldridge, the city's disaster recovery project manager.
Aldridge can be reached by calling 850 872-3004, or by emailing jaldridge@panamacity.gov.
"They will need to take pictures of any damages and send them to Jennifer with the address of their home or business, too," Kennedy wrote. "This documentation is needed for any future dealings with FEMA.
"Additionally, any resident in special flood hazard zone A, AE or VE that receives damage and needs to have permits for repairs has to contact Jennifer or the Development Service Department at 850 872-3025."
Roadway flooding also can be reported by contacting the Panama City Police Department's non-emergency line at 850 872-3112.
Panama City has conducted a full activation of its comprehensive emergency operations Plan. The city says this will ensure that all city departments are prepared to respond effectively to potential emergencies resulting from severe weather conditions.
“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our residents,” City Manager Jonathan Hayes said. “By fully activating our emergency operations plans, we are mobilizing resources and personnel to ensure a coordinated response and to provide vital services to our community.”
All city emergency response teams are on standby, prepared to address any urgent needs including rescue operations, debris management and public safety measures. Panama City is coordinating with local and state emergency management agencies for a comprehensive response strategy and information exchange. They say they will provide regular updates through multiple channels, such as social media, local media and the city website. They encourage residents to sign up for emergency notifications through Bay County at www.AlertBay.org .
The city advises residents to take necessary safety precautions, such as securing property, reviewing safety plans and avoiding traveling on roadways where water buildup is occurring as flooding rain remains a concern.
According to the midday update from the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, the path of Hurricane Helene has shifted even more east than was forecast in the early morning update.
That said, Karleisa Rogachaski, a NWS meteorologist, said Bay County residents should not underestimate the storm, since it is still expected to bring tropical storm-forced winds to the area.
"Helene is going to be a large storm, so impacts such as wind and heavy rain are going to be felt outside the cone," Rogachaski said. "It's definitely been wobbling and favoring a very slight eastward track, but there's still a chance it could wobble back to the west.
"By wobble, I mean smaller deviations, not like it's all of a sudden going to be coming to (Bay County)."
She said Bay County has a 10% chance of experiencing hurricane-force winds and a 20% to 50% chance of experiencing strong tropical storm-force winds.
"It will be windy over there," Rogachaski said. "If it wobbles a little to the west, those values might change a little bit, but if it goes to the east, they could decrease."
The National Weather Service forecasting office in Tallahassee issued a flash flood watch for Bay County at 1:36 p.m. today that will last until 4:45 p.m. Doppler radar indicated heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Bay County is currently under a tornado watch. The NWS says this means tornadoes are possible in the area and to be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching.
Landfall is still forecasted near Panacea, Florida. All of Bay County is still under a tropical storm warning. Tropical storm force wins should enter the area around 2 p.m. and there is a 70% chance of flash flooding.
Bay County is also under a flood watch, marine warning and rip current advisory.
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport has a number of canceled arrivals and departures today in anticipation of Hurricane Helene’s landfall this evening. Delta, American, Southwest and United Airlines have 13 canceled arrivals and 10 canceled departures today.
“Due to severe weather conditions forecasted for the Southeast Region this week, we encourage all travelers to continue to check in directly with your airline carrier for the latest flight updates and potential delays or cancellations,” said the airport in a statement online earlier this week. “Stay informed, and stay safe.”
The offices of the Bay County Board of County Commissioners are closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 and will reopen on Friday, Sept. 27 with normal business hours.
The M.B. Miller County Pier is closed on Thursday and will reopen Friday at 6 a.m.
The Steelfield Landfill will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday and reopen on Friday with normal business hours.
Mercy Chefs is preparing 700 meals today, according to Amy Avery, a spokesperson for the Portsmouth, Virginia-based organization. It has 12 staff members cooking and preparing food.
Meanwhile, the organization has a mobile kitchen staged at Crestview along I-10 in preparation to help people affected by the storm.
Since Hurricane Katrina the organization has served more than 2 million meals. Mercy Chef's founder is scheduled to be in Apalachicola on Friday, Sept. 27.
In a Thursday morning phone interview, Felecia Bowser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, noted the most recent forecasts show Hurricane Helene wobbled slightly east overnight, putting Bay County at less of a risk.
That said, the area still is expected to sustain tropical storm-force winds, with gusts of about 60-70 mph, as the storm makes landfall Thursday afternoon near the Big Bend region.
If Helene stays on its current course, additional local impacts might include about 3-5 inches of rain, as well as about 1-to 3-foot storm surges on the most western end of the county in Mexico Beach.
"Bay County (is not) completely out of the threat," Bowser said. "This storm is huge ... and so a lot of the impacts are still going to be felt hundreds of miles away from the center of the storm.
"Even though it's making landfall across Florida southeast Big Bend, it doesn't mean Bay County can relax and not really pay too much attention to it."
Tyndall Air Force Base declared hurricane condition 1 Thursday morning as Hurricane Helene approaches the Florida Gulf Coast. The base evacuated its aircraft on Wednesday and is now closing the base to non-mission-essential personnel. HURCON 1 indicates it expects 50 knot winds to reach the base within 12 hours.
“I know the anxiety many of you are feeling as we face another storm and the uncertainty we have all felt this week, especially after the devastation we endured with Hurricane Michael six years ago,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford in a statement online . “Please know that we are all in this together.”
He emphasized that the worst of the storm is headed east of the county but also highlighted that there will be additional deputies on the road today in the interest of public safety. Ford encourages residents to stay off the roads as tropical storm conditions arrive.
“While we may be spared the worst of Helene, we deeply understand what our neighbors in its path will be facing in the coming days, months, and years,” said Ford. “Our hearts go out to them as they prepare for an extremely dangerous storm. Just as many came to our aid in the aftermath of Michael, we are preparing to do the same for those affected by Helene.”
He further encouraged residents to keep up to date with weather conditions through local news and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office’s social media pages.
The Florida Department of Transportation announced this morning on Facebook that it has emergency crews and vehicles staged in Mariana, Panama City and Sneads to quickly respond after Hurricane Helene makes landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida tonight. Photos posted show waste disposal trucks and others loaded with mobile generators.
A National Hurricane Center forecast Wednesday night narrowed the cone of uncertainty and Bay County is no longer within it. Tropical storm conditions are still possible throughout the day and expected tonight. The area is currently under a flood watch and special marine warning. The marine warning highlights the potential for water spouts and strong wind gusts.
A storm surge of 1 to 3 feet is still expected for Panama City and Panama City Beach with a surge of 3 to 5 feet in Mexico Beach. There’s a potential for winds up to 73 mph.
The beaches are still in double red flags, as conditions in the Gulf of Mexico continue to deteriorate due to Hurricane Helene.
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.
Local News
