Hurricane Helene Live Updates

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — WKRG News 5 is keeping track of the weather impacts along the Gulf Coast ahead of Hurricane Helene.

Helene is set to make landfall on the Big Bend of Florida later this evening, according to the WKRG News 5 First Alert Storm Team.

For more information on the forecast, visit WKRG.com’s weather page .

Watch the video in the video player above for the latest updates on local conditions along the Gulf Coast as Helene develops.

Latest Updates of Helene

10 p.m.: According to News 5’s Ed Bloodsworth, Hurricane Helene will make landfall in the next 15 minutes or so.

• Kristen Currie and News 5’s Asher Redd are in Tallahassee where winds have really picked up. They anticipate conditions to worsen as the night goes on. They’re expecting to find a lot of storm damage on Friday morning.
• News 5 Meteorologist Grant Skinner said Walton County is seeing light conditions, but the surf is extremely rough right now.
• News 5’s A’Darius McCormick is on Okaloosa Island. He said he’s beginning to see a little bit of rain, intensifying winds and waves continue to become larger.
• News 5’s Hannah O’Gara is seeing strong winds and high surf on Pensacola Beach.

9 p.m.: According to News 5 Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth, an extreme wind warning has been issued for several areas near Tallahassee.

• Kristen Currie said Tallahassee is now seeing tropical storm winds and rain, but hurricane winds and rain will be there soon.
• News 5 Meteorologist Grant Skinner is in Walton County. He said he’s seen light to moderate showers over the last few hours. He said there hasn’t been a lot of coastal flooding, but he is seeing 30-40 mph winds.
• News 5’s A’Darius McCormick has spoken with a few beachgoers on Okaloosa Island who said the water is too rough to swim. He said most people have left Okaloosa Island as conditions get worse.
• News 5’s Alexa Daly is seeing high surf and wind gusts on Pensacola Beach. She spoke with some people who left Tallahassee and are in Escambia County for shelter.

6:30 p.m.: Helene is now a Category-4 storm that will slam into Florida’s Big Bend with winds over 130 miles per hour. It’s expected to be a devastating storm with a surge of up to 20 feet.

We have live team coverage along Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Pensacola, to Tallahassee — which is expected to see significant impacts.

6 p.m.: Category 4 Hurricane Helene is continuing to approach Florida’s Big Bend. WKRG News 5’s Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth says landfall is expected within the next two hours.

Here are the local conditions as of 6 p.m.:

• Kristen Currie is reporting from Tallahassee where the area is anticipating impact. She says there is concern about the damage the storm could cause if the eye of the storm goes over the area.
• WKRG Meteorologist Grant Skinner says there are double red flag conditions as Walton County is experiencing rough surf. He added that showers and at times downpours are happening in the area.
• A’Darius McCormick says Okaloosa County is seeing strong winds and rough surf. The community is coming together at this time, with agencies collecting donations in case the storm gets worse.
• Hannah O’Gara on Pensacola Beach says the area is getting some winds but there have not been any signs of rain. She added that the area is lucky compared to counties further east.

5:47 p.m.: WKRG News 5’s First Alert Storm Team reports that Hurricane Helene is now a category 4 storm.

5 p.m.: News 5 Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth said the News 5 coverage area will see minimal impacts from Hurricane Helene. He said hurricane winds could reach as far as Atlanta on Friday.

• Kristen Currie expects strong bands of rain to begin coming to Tallahassee soon. She said the inland flooding will be extreme. She said it is extremely humid in the Florida state capital.
• News 5 Meteorologist Grant Skinner said the wind gusts have picked up over the last 15 minutes in Walton County and will continue to do so throughout the night. He said the beaches have cleared out, and most people are now staying indoors.
• News 5’s A’Darius McCormick said a lot of people remain on Okaloosa Island in light of Hurricane Helene.
• News 5’s Alexa Daly is seeing strong winds and big surf in Pensacola Beach. She spoke with some people who live in the area who still decided to evacuate just in case.

4:30 p.m.: According to News 5 Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth, Florida’s big bend has not seen storm surge in modern history like what it will see from Helene.

Here is what impacts the Gulf Coast is seeing as of 4:30 p.m.:

• News 5 Meteorologist Grant Skinner is seeing rough surf along the coastline in Walton County. He said tropical storm winds are possible Thursday night for the county.
• Nexstar’s Kristen Currie said all local schools have canceled all classes through the rest of the week in Tallahassee. She expects a long night but an important night for the Florida state capital.
• News 5’s Hannah O’Gara is seeing intense waves with double red flags flying on Pensacola Beach. Escambia County is currently under a state of emergency.

4 p.m.: Accoding to Chief Meteorologist Ed Bloodsworth, storm surge is the big issue as Helene is a few hours out from making landfall and continues to strengthen. He notes that Helene is going to be a “tremendous storm.”

Here is what impacts the Gulf Coast is seeing as of 4 p.m.:

• Kristen Currie is in Tallahassee, which is in Helene’s direct path. She says the area anticipates power outages and inland flooding but notes that people seem to be taking the storm seriously.
• Meteorologist Grant Skinner is in Walton County which is under a tropical storm warning. He says currently there is nuisance rain but the winds are getting stronger off shore.
• A’Darius McCormick is currently reporting live from currently in Okaloosa County where he says the rain has let up but waves are crashing with red flag conditions.
• Alexa Daly says things in Pensacola are pretty calm though the wind is picking up as Helene moves closer to the coast.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.