The hurricane was about 500 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it is expected to become a major hurricane with its center making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast as soon as late Thursday.
Helene is expected to become a major hurricane — a Category 3 or higher — on Thursday, according to the hurricane center. The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida's northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet were expected.
Helene, which formed Tuesday in the Caribbean, is expected to move over deep, warm waters, fueling its intensification. People in regions under hurricane warnings and watches should be prepared to lose power and should have enough food and water for at least three days, forecasters warned.
Early Wednesday, Helene was located about 45 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and about 120 miles southwest of the western tip of Cuba as it moved northwest at 9 mph.
Hurricane watches — which are a step down from warnings — were also in effect for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, the hurricane center said.
“It’s going to be a very large system with impacts across all of Florida,” said Larry Kelly, a specialist at the hurricane center.
Several counties on Florida's west and northwestern coasts have issued evacuation orders. Multiple school districts, including in the areas around Tampa and the state capital Tallahassee, plan to close schools or reduce hours starting Wednesday.
Some residents started filling sandbags ahead of anticipated flooding and began leaving areas on the coast.
President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and deployed Federal Emergency Management Agency teams to Florida and Alabama to support local first responders. Federal authorities were positioning generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue and power restoration teams, the White House said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also issued an emergency for most of the state's counties, while Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared an emergency in his state as well.
The storm is anticipated to be unusually large and fast-moving, meaning storm surges, wind and rain will likely extend far from the storm’s center, the hurricane center said. States as far inland as Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana could see rainfall.
