Hurricane Helene is intensifying in the southern Gulf of Mexico as it makes its way toward Florida’s Big Bend area.
At 5 pm Wednesday, Helene was about 460 miles southwest of Tampa and 505 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola. Maximum sustained winds were 85 miles per hour, and Helene was moving north at 12 miles per hour.
Rapid intensification is expected to begin soon, with Helene becoming a category 4 hurricane before landfall. Helene’s wind field is also expanding, and the hurricane will accelerate on Thursday.
Landfall is expected in the hurricane warning area — from the Anclote River to Mexico Beach — Thursday evening, but conditions will deteriorate much earlier on Thursday. The warning area can expect up to 20 feet of storm surge, as well as devastating winds.
In South Florida, conditions are already worsening in the Lower Keys, and the Gulf coast can expect tropical storm force winds on Wednesday night. The east coast metro area and the rest of the Keys are likely to see at least tropical storm force gusts starting on Thursday morning. Periods of heavy rain are expected, and there’s a flood watch for our area.
The Naples area can expect 3 to 5 feet of storm surge, and the Keys can expect 1 to 3 feet of coastal flooding, which could make the Overseas Highway impassible in spots.
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