Hurricane Helene has graduated to a Category 3 hurricane as of Thursday afternoon and continues to speed up as it moves closer to landfall in Florida.
Some Florida residents have already started evacuating from areas near the predicted landfall. Almost 80 million people in Florida and across the Southeast are under hurricane or tropical storm warnings. Further north, states are preparing for "catastrophic" flooding as the remnants of the storm are expected to dump inches of rain in several places, including Tennessee.
"Weakening is expected after landfall, but Helene's fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians," the National Hurricane Center said in the advisory Thursday morning.
Here's the latest on Helene and where it is right now.
Live coverage of Helene: When is Hurricane Helene expected to make landfall? Watch live coverage as storm approaches Florida
As of Thursday afternoon, Helene developed into a Category 3 storm, a major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
AccuWeather forecasters predict that Helene could reach Category 4 strength, with winds of 131 to 155 mph, in the Gulf ahead of landfall and maintain windspeeds through it. This can have devastating effects in Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
"Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months," the hurricane center says of Category 4 storms.
A Category 3 storm, while significantly weaker, is still a major hurricane. "Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes," the center says of Category 3 storms.
How big is Hurricane Helene?
Helene is a huge storm. As of Thursday morning, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 345 miles from the center.
Where and when will Helene hit Florida?
Helene is forecast to continue across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday and hit Florida's Big Bend coast Thursday evening or early Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Where is Jim Cantore right now?
For many the question now is, "Where is Jim Cantore?"
The now infamous weather hound is usually in the thick of things when severe weather hits...especially when it comes to hurricanes.
Cantore is currently in Tallahassee, Florida, documenting not only the weather, but also the impact that it is having on the residents there as well.
Even though Cantore may be in Florida, he's still keeping an eye out for those that will be dealing with the remnants of Helene.
"This will be a historic storm for many including southern Appalachia with flooding and wind damage. Pray I’m wrong, I want to be. Be safe all and protect your families and property as best you can," Cantore wrote on X , formerly known as Twitter.
Where is Helene right now? Potential path of the hurricane
As of Thursday morning, Helene was located about 320 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida and was moving north-northeast around 12 mph, according to the hurricane center.
Spaghetti Models for Hurricane Helene
How do you pronounce Helene?
Phonetically it is pronounced HELL-EEN. Take a listen to the pronunciation here .
What are the different categories of hurricanes?
Helene is expected to make landfall as at least a Category 3 hurricane. This category can cause devastating damage and bring dangerous storm surges to coastal communities. But this isn't the strongest hurricane possible.
Hurricanes have five types of categories, here are what each are, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration :
Category 1: A Minimal Hurricane
- Winds: 74-95 mph
- Minimum surface pressure: higher than 980 mbar
- Storm surge: 3-5 feet
- Damage primarily to shrubbery, trees, foliage and unanchored homes. No real damage to other structures. Some damage to poorly constructed signs.
Category 2: A Moderate Hurricane
- Winds: 96-110 mph
- Minimum surface pressure: 979-965 mbar
- Storm surge: 6-8 feet
- Considerable damage to shrubbery and tree foliage; some trees blown down. Major damage to exposed mobile homes. Extensive damage to poorly constructed signs. Some damage to roofing materials of buildings; some window and door damage. No major damage to buildings.
Category 3: An Extensive Hurricane
- Winds: 111-130 mph
- Minimum surface pressure: 964-945 mbar
- Storm surge: 9-12 feet
- Foliage torn from trees, large trees blown down. Practically all poorly constructed signs blown down. Some damage to roofing materials of buildings with some wind and door damage. Some structural damage to small buildings. Mobile homes destroyed. Serious flooding at coast and many smaller structures near coast destroyed. Larger structures near coast damaged by battering waves and floating debris.
Category 4: An Extreme Hurricane
- Winds: 131-155 mph
- Minimum surface pressure: 944-920 mbar
- Storm surge: 13-18 feet
- Shrubs and trees blown down; all signs down. Extensive damage to roofing materials, windows, and doors. Complete failure of roofs on many small residences. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Flat terrain 10 feet or less above sea level flooded inland as far as 6 miles. Major damage to lower floors of structures near shore due to flooding and battering by waves and floating debris.
Category 5: A Catastrophic Hurricane
- Winds: greater than 155 mph
- Minimum surface pressure: lower than 920 mbar
- Storm surge: higher than 18 feet
What category was Hurricane Katrina?
Hurricane Katrina was a massive and deadly storm that skipped around the Gulf causing destruction as levees in Louisiana near New Orleans broke and caused massive flooding and destruction throughout the city in 2005.
Katrina started as a low grade hurricane making landfall in the Hallandale Beach area in Florida before skipping into the Gulf and strengthening to a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It made its second landfall in southeast Lousiana as a high end Category 3 hurricane, according to previous reports by the National Hurricane Center.
The scars of the storm still remain in some areas in the form of red Xs on buildings and areas that were left abandoned for years after Katrina hit.
USA TODAY, Doyle Rice and The Florida Times-Union contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hurricane Helene: Latest updates on projected path, landfall and impact
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