Hurricane Helene leaves 3 dead after making landfall in Florida as historic Category 4 storm: Latest
Death toll continues to rise after Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s coast as one of largest storms ever to strike US
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At least three people have died as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States, bringing “catastrophic” and “unsurvivable” conditions.
Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region just after 11pm ET as a Category 4 storm packing sustained winds of around 140 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
Even before it made landfall, the storm had flooded the Gulf Coast and knocked out power for at least 1 million customers in the state. Apart from Florida, Alabama, and parts of the Carolinas are also at risk of flooding.
The first death was confirmed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, after a sign fell on a driver’s car in Tampa. Two more deaths were reported in Wheeler County late on Thursday, Georgia after a trailer was swept up by a tornado.
Helene’s size is massive compared to previous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was forecast to be one of the largest storms in breadth to hit the region in years, with only three bigger since 1988.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri warns residents about playing ‘stupid games’ ahead of Helene
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri warned residents in evacuation zones about playing “stupid games.”
Storm surge in the county could top between five and eight feet there.
“We’ve all heard the adage, play stupid games win stupid prizes. Somebody is going to win a stupid prize because they’re not going to get out and we’re not coming,” Gualtieri said.
People in evacuation zone A should get out now.
National Hurricane Center announces Helene makes landfall
DeSantis delivers remarks
“When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we’re going to be waking up to a state where there’s been additional loss of life and certainly theres going to be loss of property,” DeSantis said during the news conference. “You’re going to have people losing their homes because of this storm.”
DeSantis advised people against going out in the storm as it hits land. He told Floridians to expect additional power outages.
Residents could be prepared for wind damage and falling trees.
A look at Hurricane Helene from space
Videos capture Hurricane Helene from space. Satellites and the ISS are capturing jaw-dropping footage of this colossal force of nature, OrbitalToday.com wrote on X.
Live: Hurricane Helene moves up Florida coast hitting Tampa
Live video shows impacts from Hurricane Helene as it moves up the Florida coast, hitting Tampa.
Hurricane Helene will make landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm, forecasters say
Hurricane Helene will bring maximum sustained winds of 140 to 155mph
“A surge of water from the Gulf of Mexico could reach 23 feet in the hardest-hit coastal areas of the Big Bend of Florida. This is two stories high and unsurvivable for people in the area,” warned AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “The life-threatening storm surge risk extends down through Tampa Bay where six to 10 feet of water inundation is possible.”
The greatest risk of water surge is expected along and near the coast and conditions are expected to be extremely dangerous after nightfall.
Destructive winds are expected to reach far inland, with catastrophic flash flooding hundreds of miles away from where Helene makes landfall.
“We are forecasting Helene to make landfall as a destructive Category 4 Hurricane in the Apalachicola area between Mexico Beach and Horseshoe Beach,” said Bernie Rayno.
The number of people without power in Florida has now risen to 700,000
That’s according to poweroutage.us. The number has risen over the past several hours from 400,000 to 700,000.
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