September 27th 2024.
On Thursday evening, Hurricane Helene, a fast-moving Category 4 storm, made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida's northwestern coast. This powerful storm threatened to bring catastrophic storm surges, damaging winds, heavy rains, and flash floods to the southeastern United States. Forecasters warned that the effects of this hurricane could be felt for hundreds of miles inland.
As Helene approached, authorities in Georgia reported two fatalities in a possible tornado, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed one death caused by a falling sign on Interstate 4. The storm also caused power outages to over 1 million homes and businesses in Florida and over 50,000 in Georgia. States of emergency were declared in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama.
In the Pacific, former Hurricane John strengthened back into a hurricane on Thursday morning and threatened areas of Mexico's western coast with flash flooding and mudslides. However, it was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved along the coast of the Mexican state of Michoacan.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and was expected to become a hurricane as it moved east away from the United States. Forecasters warned that it could potentially reach hurricane status by the end of the week.
Governor DeSantis expressed his concerns for the safety of Floridians and urged them to stay indoors and take necessary precautions. He also confirmed that 3,500 National Guardsmen were on standby to assist with any emergency response.
Helene officially made landfall near Perry, Florida, in the Big Bend area with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned of potentially catastrophic flooding along the Gulf Coast, particularly in Florida's Apalachee Bay. Hurricane and flash flood warnings extended beyond the coast into northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
Power outages continued to rise in Florida, with over 885,000 customers without power as of 11 p.m. EDT. The majority of these outages were in counties along the Big Bend area where Helene was expected to make landfall.
Meanwhile, former Hurricane John was downgraded to a tropical storm as it traveled slowly along the coast of Michoacan. It was still a threat, with sustained wind speeds of 70 mph and the potential for severe flash flooding. John had initially hit Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane on Monday, causing significant damage and reemerged over the ocean on Wednesday before strengthening back into a hurricane on Thursday.
The National Hurricane Centre predicted that John would continue to weaken on Thursday night and into Friday. However, the storm's effects were still being closely monitored as it continued to move along the coast.
On Thursday evening, the fast-moving Hurricane Helene arrived on the northwestern coast of Florida's Big Bend area as a powerful Category 4 storm. Forecasters warned of potential catastrophic storm surges and damaging winds, rains, and flash floods that could reach hundreds of miles inland across the southeastern US.
As the storm approached, authorities in Georgia reported two fatalities, potentially caused by a tornado, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed one death of a driver on Interstate 4 when a sign fell onto their car. The storm also caused power outages for over 1 million homes and businesses in Florida and 50,000 in Georgia, according to poweroutage.us.
Several states, including Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama, declared states of emergency in preparation for the storm. In addition, the Pacific saw the formation of former Hurricane John, which strengthened back into a hurricane on Thursday morning and threatened areas of Mexico's western coast with flash flooding and mudslides. However, it was later downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved along the coast of the state of Michoacan.
While all of this was happening, Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and is expected to strengthen as it moves away from the US. There is a possibility it could become a hurricane by the end of the week, according to forecasters.
During a news conference late Thursday, Governor DeSantis confirmed the death of one person on Interstate 4 in Tampa due to a fallen sign and warned of potential further fatalities as the storm progresses. He also stated that 3,500 National Guardsmen were on standby to assist with response efforts.
The National Hurricane Centre in Miami reported that Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, in the Big Bend area around 11:10 p.m. EDT on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. They also issued warnings of potentially catastrophic flooding along the Gulf Coast, especially in Florida's Apalachee Bay.
The hurricane and flash flood warnings extended beyond the coast, reaching up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
As of 11 p.m. EDT, over 885,000 customers in Florida were without power, according to poweroutage.us. The majority of these outages were in counties along the Big Bend area, where Helene made landfall.
Meanwhile, former Hurricane John was downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday evening as it moved slowly along the coast of the Mexican state of Michoacan. The US National Hurricane Centre warned of severe flash flooding in coastal areas, despite the storm weakening and sustaining wind speeds of 70 mph. John initially hit Mexico on Monday as a Category 3 hurricane and caused significant damage before weakening and reemerging over the ocean as a tropical storm on Wednesday. It regained hurricane strength on Thursday before weakening again.
The hurricane centre expects John to continue to weaken on Thursday night and into Friday.
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