Hurricane Helene to unleash 'unsurvivable' storm surge as monster 130mph winds to cause devastation

The swift-moving Hurricane Helen e which is making its way across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida poses a threat of an "unsurvivable" storm surge in parts of the state , forecasters warn.

It also threatens to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across a large portion of the southeastern U. S., say experts.

Helene is predicted to be a major hurricane - defined as Category 3 or higher - when it hits Florida's northwestern coast on Thursday evening. As of early Thursday, hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings have been issued far beyond the coast, reaching into south-central Georgia.

The governors of Florida , Georgia, and the Carolinas have all declared states of emergency.

• Hurricane Helene intensifies as Florida braces for storm's landfall as state of emergency declared

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The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has forecasted storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters), warning that they could be particularly "catastrophic and life-threatening" in Florida's Apalachee Bay. They also highlighted the risks posed by high winds and heavy rains.

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

In Crawfordville, located further inland and approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Apalachee Bay, local resident Christine Nazworth was seen stocking up on bottled water, baked goods and premade meals at a Walmart. Despite Wakulla County issuing a mandatory evacuation order, she said her family would be staying put.

"I'm prayed up," she declared. "Lord have mercy on us. And everybody else that might be in its path." Evacuation orders are rolling out across several counties, including Wakulla County. Schools along Florida's Gulf Coast and various universities are shutting down classes in anticipation of the storm.

As of early Thursday, Helene was positioned about 425 miles southwest of Tampa, advancing northward at a speed of 9 mph with maximum sustained winds reaching 85 mph. Meteorologists anticipate it will intensify into a major Category 3 hurricane or higher, with winds surpassing 110 mph.

Despite expectations that Helene will lose some strength as it moves inland, forecasters warn that its rapid pace could carry potent, damaging winds far into the southeastern United States, even reaching the southern Appalachian Mountains. The National Hurricane Center has issued tropical storm warnings extending to North Carolina and cautions that widespread power outages, fallen trees, and severe flooding are likely.

Helene wreaked havoc on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, causing floods and knocking down trees near Cancun. The storm, which originated in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, prompted Cuba to preemptively cut power in certain areas and generated massive waves in Cortes Bay.

Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands saw school closures and residents dealing with flooded homes. Rain was already pouring in Atlanta on Wednesday evening, with shoppers clearing out water supplies at a Kroger supermarket east of downtown. The National Weather Service in Atlanta issued flash flood warnings for a large part of the state.

Charles McComb expressed his disbelief that Helene would significantly affect the city, which is over 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of the Gulf of Mexico. "It would be really unique for it to hit so far inland," Charles commented while purchasing water, bread, and lunch meat.

However, he did express concern about potential power outages. "I do live in an area where it doesn't take much for the power to go out," he admitted.

Helene is predicted to be one of the most extensive storms to hit the region in years, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. He noted that since 1988, only three Gulf hurricanes have been larger than Helene's anticipated size: Irma in 2017, Wilma in 2005, and Opal in 1995.

Hurricane conditions are expected in areas 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the Georgia-Florida border. Over half of Georgia's public school districts and several universities have canceled classes. For Atlanta, Helene could be the worst hit on a major Southern inland city in 35 years, according to University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd.

Landslides could occur in southern Appalachia, and rainfall is expected as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. Federal authorities have prepared generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue and power restoration teams.

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which kicked off on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecasted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record-high ocean temperatures.

In other storm news, Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic on Wednesday and was predicted to intensify as it travels eastward across the open ocean, potentially becoming a hurricane by week's end, according to forecasters. Isaac was approximately 690 miles (1,115 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda with top sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), as per the US. National Hurricane Center in Miami, which stated its swells and winds could impact parts of Bermuda and eventually the Azores by the weekend.

In the Pacific, former Hurricane John reformed on Wednesday as a tropical storm and was gaining strength as it posed a threat to areas of Mexico's western coast. Officials issued hurricane warnings for southwestern Mexico.

John struck Mexico's southern Pacific coast late Monday, resulting in at least two fatalities, triggering mudslides, and causing damage to homes and trees. It rapidly escalated into a Category 3 hurricane and made landfall east of Acapulco. It reemerged over the ocean after weakening inland.