Florida on High Alert: Category 4 Hurricane Helen Unleashes Fury, Bringing Devastating Storm Surge and Catastrophic Winds
Heavy rain and gusts of wind hit the state of Florida, in the south of the United States, this Thursday, September 26, where residents are preparing for the arrival of the “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Helene, which threatens to cause up to six meters of deadly ocean swell.
The NHC expects Helene to make landfall on or near the coast of Big Bend in Florida around 11:00 pm local time.
Previously, the Hurricane Center had not mined words to warn about this storm: “Florida’s ENTIRE Big Bend coast is at risk of potentially catastrophic storm surge.”
The city is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Helen | Photo: AFP
Airports in Tampa and Tallahassee have already closed, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis residents to rush the final preparations before the storm arrives.
Around 125,000 homes and businesses were without electricity. “We expect storm surge flooding between 4.5 and 6 meters above ground level,” warned NHC Director Mike Brennan.
“That’s up to the top of the second floor of a building. Once again, in this part of the Florida coast a scenario that has never been seen before is going to happen“, because the waves “can destroy houses, move cars, and the water level is going to rise very quickly,” warned Brennan.
“I’m going to take shelter”
Despite the forecast, Patrick Riickert refused to evacuate his small wooden house in Crawfordville, a city of 5,000 inhabitants halfway between Tallahassee and the coast, which will surely be destroyed by Helene.
Most of the residents have left, but he, his wife and five grandchildren “are not going anywhere,” the 58-year-old told AFP.
“I’m going to take shelter” and endure the hurricane, he said. This was done in 2018, when the deadly Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 megastorm, hit the northwestern area of Florida. “I rely on my faith that God will keep me safe,” he added.
In the coastal town of Alligator Point, David Wesolowski is taking no chances in the face of the hurricane. “If he stays on track, this is going to look a lot different later,” he said before leading his family to higher ground in Tallahassee.
The NHC warned of up to 20 inches of rain in isolated inland areas, and life-threatening flooding, as well as “numerous” landslides, in the southern Appalachians.
Several states are in the potential path and were already being hit by strong winds and heavy rain. Flooding in cities around Tampa Bay left roads impassable, according to local media.
The risk of hurricanes increased in northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Most of Georgia, which like Florida is in a state of emergency, was put on a flood warning, while Tennessee braced for tropical storm conditions across the state.
From Florida to Tennessee
“This will be a multi-state event that could have a significant impact,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters at the White House after briefing President Joe Biden on the situation.
“The president wants to make sure everyone is paying attention to the life-threatening effects of this storm,” he said.
DeSantis mobilized the National Guard and thousands of personnel for possible search and rescue operations and restoration of power.
“We can’t control the path of the hurricane, but what you can control is what you can do to give yourself the best chance of getting out of this safely.” said the governor.
A 402 km stretch of coast, from Tampa Bay to Panama City, is on alert because of the a hurricane. Previously, Helene hit the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico, where several tourist destinations are located.
If weather forecasts are confirmed, Helene would be the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in more than a year. He a hurricane Category 3 Idalia hit northwest Florida in August 2023.