Hurricane Helene Projected to Make Landfall along Big Bend, Florida Thursday Evening

SPECIAL REPORT

Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 2 storm, is expected to make landfall tonight as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend area of Florida. According to current estimates, Helene is expected to make landfall between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT, with maximum sustained winds of 130-135 mph and gusts up to 150 mph or higher. Storm surge will impact areas as far south as the Florida Keys up to Mobile, AL. The most at-risk areas face 15-20 feet of storm surge. Portions of Tampa Bay will see 6-10 feet of surge. Strong easterly winds off the Atlantic will lead to storm surge and coastal flooding from northeastern Florida up to the coast to South Carolina. 

Prolonged rainfall from Helene will lead to flooding in many areas, including the panhandle of Florida, and parts of Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, and Tennessee into the Southern Appalachians. 

• The following airports are closed:
  
  • Tampa International Airport 
  • St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport
  • Tallahassee Regional Airport
• Mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for communities from Sarasota County up to Gulf County near the panhandle.
• A large part of Georgia will get hit with tropical storm-force winds as Helene moves north. The storm may spawn tornados as it moves overland. Atlanta International Airport is likely to face disruptions as the center of Helene passes by to the east.
  
  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• To view Global Guardian’s 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide, click here.
• For those currently in Florida, we also advise consulting the Florida Division of Emergency Management here.
  
  

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