Hurricane Helene made landfall along Florida’s coast on Thursday night as a powerful category 4 storm, unleashing chaos across the Gulf Coast with high winds, storm surges, and torrential rainfall.
The storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 225 kph, was about 70km east-southeast of Tallahassee, according to the UA National Hurricane Center. It rapidly intensified over the warm Gulf waters, strengthening as it approached the Florida coastline.
Helene’s storm surge, potentially reaching 20ft (6.1 meters) in some areas, poses an extreme threat. Wakulla County Sheriff Jared Miller issued a dire warning: “This is not a survivable event for those in coastal or low-lying areas. Please heed the evacuation orders as time is running out.”
States of emergency were declared across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama, as residents brace for the impact. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged those in North Florida to evacuate, warning of flooding, power outages, and road closures, though the storm is expected to weaken after landfall.
At a briefing in Tallahassee, DeSantis emphasized the storm’s severity: “Hurricane-force winds will extend 50 miles beyond the eye, and storm surges in the Big Bend area are especially concerning.” Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey warned that Helene could bring “unprecedented damage” to the capital.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is contributing to stronger and more frequent hurricanes, with rising ocean temperatures fueling storms like Helene. Much of the storm’s power came from the hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach noted that Helene is among the largest storms to hit the region in decades. Only three Gulf hurricanes since 1988—Irma in 2017, Wilma in 2005, and Opal in 1995—have been predicted to be larger.
Even before landfall, Helene’s effects were being felt. Fort Myers Beach saw water levels 2ft above normal on Thursday, and storm surges reached 5ft in Tampa and St. Petersburg. The storm is expected to travel up the southeastern U.S. coast, impacting states from Florida to North Carolina. Over 50 million people are under hurricane and tropical storm warnings.
In North Carolina, emergency officials urged residents to evacuate to higher ground. The region, already saturated from previous storms, could receive another 9 to 14 inches of rain from Helene.
The storm’s powerful winds knocked out power for about 230,000 people in western Cuba as it passed by the island. In Mexico, Helene flooded streets and toppled trees in parts of the Yucatan Peninsula as it brushed Cancún earlier in the week.
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, with NOAA predicting an above-average season due to record-high ocean temperatures.
