TAMPA BAY, Fla. — The Caribbean Sea witnessed the formation of Tropical Storm Helene on Tuesday, which is predicted to escalate into a significant hurricane as it advances north towards the U.S., according to weather experts. The Cayman Islands have already been hit by heavy rainfall and large waves, and some Florida inhabitants have started to evacuate or stock up on sandbags in anticipation of potential flooding.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane watches for certain regions of Cuba, Mexico, and a portion of the Florida coastline, including Tampa Bay. A tropical storm warning has also been issued for some areas of the Florida Keys.
The storm, currently located 175 miles south of Cuba’s western tip, is moving northwest at a speed of 12 mph with sustained winds of 45 mph. It is projected to intensify into Hurricane Helene by Wednesday as it nears the Gulf Coast and could potentially become a major hurricane by Thursday.
Jeremy Edwards, a White House spokesperson, stated that federal authorities in the U.S. are preparing for the storm by positioning generators, food and water supplies, as well as search-and-rescue and power restoration teams.
Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency on Monday in anticipation of the storm’s arrival on the state’s Gulf Coast as early as late Thursday. The number of counties included in the high-risk area was increased from 41 to 61 on Tuesday. Florida A&M University has postponed its upcoming college football game against Alabama A&M due to the impending storm.
Lisa Bucci, a specialist at the hurricane center, urged residents in evacuation zones to start preparing and evacuate. She warned not to underestimate the storm based on its current appearance. Approximately 10 Florida counties have either urged or ordered evacuations.
Hal Summers, a restaurant worker from Mexico Beach, Florida, took heed of the warnings after narrowly surviving Hurricane Michael in 2018. Governor DeSantis has compared Helene to that Category 5 hurricane, which intensified rapidly and caught residents off guard, leaving a trail of destruction across the western Florida Panhandle.
Summers recalled the traumatic experience of wading through rapidly rising waters in his parents’ house with his cat in his arms during Hurricane Michael. Both his and his parents’ houses were destroyed. On Tuesday, he evacuated to Marianna, a town further inland, with a friend.
Helene is expected to pass over deep, warm waters, which will fuel its intensification. Bucci advised residents in regions under watches and warnings to prepare for power outages and to stock up on enough food and water for at least three days.
Helene, the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, could escalate into a major Category 3 hurricane — with winds of at least 111 mph — before approaching the northeastern Gulf Coast. Since 2000, eight major hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a Colorado State University hurricane researcher.
Bucci warned that due to the anticipated large size of the storm, the storm surge, wind, and rain will extend far from the center of the expected storm, especially on the eastern side. States as far inland as Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana could experience rainfall associated with the storm.
A tropical storm warning is currently in effect for Florida’s Dry Tortugas; the lower Florida Keys west of the Seven Mile Bridge; Rio Lagartos to Tulum, Mexico; and the Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth. The tropical storm warning for Grand Cayman has been lifted.
A storm surge watch is in effect for Florida’s Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and from Indian Pass south to Flamingo. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the middle Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge to the Channel 5 Bridge; Flamingo to south of Englewood; and from west of Indian Pass to the Walton Bay County line.
Despite the sunny weather on Tuesday in Tarpon Springs, Florida, residents have already started filling sandbags in preparation for potential flooding.
Officials in the Cayman Islands have closed schools, airports, and government offices as strong winds have caused power outages in some areas of Grand Cayman, while heavy rain and waves as high as 10 feet have caused flooding.
Many residents in Cuba are concerned about the storm, which is expected to reach the capital of Havana, a city already struggling with severe water shortages, uncollected garbage, and chronic power outages.
Helene is expected to pass between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday before heading north across the Gulf of Mexico.
Western Cuba and the Cayman Islands are forecasted to receive up to eight inches of rain, with isolated totals of 12 inches. The eastern Yucatan is expected to receive up to six inches of rain, with isolated totals of more than eight inches.
The National Hurricane Center has forecasted heavy rainfall for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, which could lead to flash and river flooding. The region is expected to receive up to eight inches of rain, with isolated totals of 12 inches.
A storm surge of up to 15 feet is forecasted from Ochlockonee River, Florida, to Chassahowitzka, and up to 10 feet from Chassahowitzka to Anclote River and from Indian Pass to Ochlockonee River.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record-warm ocean temperatures. It has forecasted 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
In the Pacific, former Hurricane John claimed two lives after it hit Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, causing tin roofs to be blown off houses, triggering mudslides, and toppling numerous trees, officials reported on Tuesday.
Disagree – I think it’s unnecessary to evacuate already, it might not even get that bad.
Bu soba, içindeki yakıtın yanmasıyla oluşan ısıyı doğrudan çevresine yayar ve aynı zamanda suyun ısınmasını sağlar.