Hurricane Helene rapidly strengthened to a Category 4 storm before making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night. The eye of the storm hit about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. By 1 a.m. Friday, Helene had moved inland and was classified as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph in southern Georgia.
Forecasters issued warnings of an “extremely dangerous” hurricane with a wind swath potentially spanning over 400 miles and the potential for “unsurvivable” storm surge. States such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina declared emergencies ahead of the storm’s arrival, with flooding being a major concern in some areas.
Helene initially formed as a tropical storm in the western Caribbean Sea, causing flooding in the Cayman Islands before intensifying into a powerful hurricane. The rapid intensification and wide-reaching impact of Helene have raised alarms among residents and officials in the affected states who are bracing for the storm’s potentially devastating effects. Stay updated on the latest developments and safety measures in place as Hurricane Helene continues to pose a significant threat to the region.
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