6:15 PM Update – Hurricane Helene is now a Category 4
Hurricane Helene has grown into a very large and powerful major hurricane as it approaches the Big Bend along Florida’s Gulf coast.
At 5 pm Thursday, Helene had maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, making it a category 3 hurricane. Additional strengthening is expected, and Helene is forecast to become a category 4 hurricane before landfall tonight. Tropical storm force winds are already arriving in the Big Bend region and much of Florida’s northern Gulf coast.
Helene is also accelerating. At 5 pm, it was moving north-northeast at 23 miles per hour.
Storm surge from Helene is expected to be catastrophic. The Big Bend region can expect up to 20 feet of storm surge — higher than a two-story building. Even Tampa Bay could see 5 to 8 feet of storm surge — a disaster in Tampa’s low-lying downtown area.
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