Helene has been upgraded to a hurricane Wednesday morning as it continues its steady march toward the Florida coast and residents brace for it to make landfall. Further north, Tennessee and other states wonder just how much rain will be coming their way.
The latest predictions from the National Hurricane Center, have windspeeds reaching upwards of 120 miles per hour by the time it makes landfall in Florida.
"Due to the forecast large size of this system, storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts will extend well away from the center, particularly on the east side. In addition, the fast forward speed while it crosses the coast will likely result in farther inland penetration of strong winds over parts of the southeastern United States after landfall," the Hurricane Center advisory warned.
Helene is expected to soak the Southeast as it makes its way inland, with some areas predicted to see upwards of 10 inches of rain as the remnants of the storm move northeast.
"The heaviest rainfall expected from Helene will likely get started Thursday night and continue into Friday as its remnants then track into eastern (Tennessee)," read the forecast.
Here's the latest models and predictions for Helene as we all brace for severe weather over the next few days.
When will Hurricane Helene hit Florida?
Areas of Florida are already under hurricane watches and warnings. The National Hurricane Center predicts Helene will make landfall sometime on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane along Florida's Gulf Coast. Predictions as of Wednesday morning put Helene's landfall along Florida's Big Bend. This could change as the storm develops.
How much rain will Tennessee have from Helene?
Communities across Tennessee have already had a taste of rain ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Helene and there is even more in the forecast through the end of the week for much of the Volunteer State.
The National Hurricane Center expects it to produce rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches with isolated totals of around 15 inches in areas across the Southeast U.S. A large increase from original predictions of 3 to 6 inches on Wednesday. Tennessee communities are not expected to feel Helene's impact until Thursday night, according to forecasts.
Here's the latest forecast via the National Weather Service as of Wednesday, Sep. 25:
East Tennessee: A flood watch is in effect for the Knoxville area until Thursday morning. There is an 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and dropping down to 80% heading into Thursday morning. Rain accumulation could reach upwards of two inches in some areas over the next 24 hour period.
The remnants of Helene are predicted to hit the area on Thursday night, with a 90% chance of rain starting in the evening and dropping to 80% on Friday. Expected precipitation amounts have not been added to the forecast. Wind gusts as high as 40-45 mph are predicted for Thursday and Friday.
Middle Tennessee: Chance of rain and possible thunderstorms increasing from Wednesday heading into Thursday morning. Wednesday night storms could drop between a tenth and a quarter of an inch in some areas. On Thursday, chances of rain and thunderstorms grow to 70% during the day and 80% at night into Friday morning. Expected precipitation amounts have not been added to the forecast for Thursday and Friday.
West Tennessee: Chances of large accumulations of rain in the western part of the state are much slimmer than in Middle and East Tennessee, according to the forecast, but they have increased since Tuesday.
The Memphis area and West Tennessee have a slight chance of showers and possible thunderstorms today. On Thursday and Friday, the area could see upwards of a 70% chance of rain, with possible thunderstorms. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible on Friday.
The National Hurricane Center does warn that the potential rainfall in some areas could result in local flash and urban flooding, with possible minor to isolated moderate river flooding. It has also warned of possible landslides in areas of steep terrain in the southern Appalachians.
What category is Hurricane Helene expected to be?
The National Hurricane Center announced that Helene was upgraded to hurricane status on Wednesday around 10:15 a.m. CT. The hurricane center predicts that Helene will make landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane or even stronger, "there's still some uncertainty on exactly how strong Helene" can get. Winds could get up to 125 mph as Helene gets closer to the U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center.
What does Hurricane Helene look like?
Storm tracker: Where is Hurricane Helene right now?
Here's the latest information on where the storm is as of Wednesday morning.
- Location : 100 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico; 145 miles south-southwest of the western tip of Cuba
- Maximum sustained winds: 60 mph
- Movement : west-northwest at 10 mph
- Pressure : 991 mb
Latest cone of concern for Helene
Move the bar to see how the cone of concern has changed over the last day.
Spaghetti models for Hurricane Helene
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Where is Hurricane Helene? Latest spaghetti models, projected path and rain forecast for Tennessee
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