Florida Battered: 169km/h Hurricane Gusts Unleash Torrential Rains and Widespread Flooding Across the Southeast

Satellite photo of Hurricane Hulin on the 26th (local time) [사진 제공:연합뉴스]

As a powerful hurricane approaches the southeastern United States, damage is becoming visible, including flooding in parts of Florida’s coastal areas.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) on the 26th local time, Hurricane ‘Helene’ is approaching Florida waters with stronger power this morning, driving gusts with a maximum wind speed of about 169 km/h (105 miles per hour).

This corresponds to Category 2 of the five hurricane categories, where the larger the number, the more powerful it is, but it is almost at the level of Category 3, which is classified as a major hurricane, reaching speeds of 110 miles per hour.

Hulin is currently moving north-northeast at 22 km/h in waters southwest of Tampa, Florida.

The NHC expected Herlin to be upgraded to a Category 3 as it made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida this evening.

Video reported by CNN in the U.S. showed roads in coastal areas of Florida completely submerged in water due to the rain brought by the hurricane.

The Associated Press reported that a storm is brewing in Florida’s Big Bend region, and most gas stations along the highways in this area are closed.

A tsunami of up to 6 meters was forecast on the southern coast of Tallahassee, the capital of Florida.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for low-lying areas such as Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Tampa.

The Tallahassee Regional National Weather Service repeatedly emphasized, “If the forecast is correct, a nightmare tsunami scenario will occur,” and added, “Please, please take evacuation orders seriously.”

The skyway was blocked by the strong winds brought by the hurricane, and the airports in Tallahassee, Tampa, and Clearwater were closed that day.

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, about 1,020 flights within the United States were canceled as of 11 a.m. on this day.

The states that have declared a state of emergency in preparation for hurricanes have expanded to include Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as Virginia.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a press conference that day, “This hurricane is exceptionally dangerous.

“There is a risk of heavy rain and catastrophic flooding in central and especially western North Carolina tonight and tomorrow,” he said, urging residents to be fully prepared.

According to CNN, heavy rain began to fall in the Asheville, North Carolina area the night before and recorded 191 mm of rain by this morning, and meteorological authorities said that if about 51 mm more rain fell in this area by this evening, it would occur ‘once every 1,000 years’. It was reported that it would be recorded as an unusual precipitation event.

The NHC said that while Hurlin is likely to weaken as it moves inland, it “could develop gusts at a fast forward speed and cause damage by fully penetrating the interior of the southeastern United States, including the southern Appalachians.”

Hulin was the eighth storm to be named in the Atlantic hurricane season that began June 1.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that record-warm ocean temperatures will result in more frequent than normal Atlantic hurricanes this year.

The NHC said Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic Ocean the day before, following Hurlin.

This tropical storm is expected to grow stronger as it moves across the ocean and has the potential to become a hurricane by the end of this week.

Isaac is currently passing about 1,315 km northeast of Bermuda, and was expected to affect parts of Bermuda and the Azores until the weekend, with maximum wind speeds of 80 km/h.