Helene strengthened Wednesday, and forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida. The storm had already prompted residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.
The hurricane was about 500 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it is expected to with its center making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida鈥檚 northwestern coast as soon as late Thursday.
The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico鈥檚 Yucatan Peninsula and Florida鈥檚 northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.
Meanwhile, former Hurricane John re-formed as a tropical storm and threatened areas of Mexico's western coast anew.
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Here's the latest:
Walt Disney World water park and golf courses closed Thursday
ORLANDO 鈥� Walt Disney World outside Orlando said Wednesday that it will be open on Thursday, except for its miniature golf courses and the Typhoon Lagoon water park. The theme park resort also said its Mickey鈥檚 Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was canceled for Thursday.
鈥淲e are closely monitoring the projected path of Hurricane Helene as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast members,鈥� Disney said in a statement.
鈥楧o what you got to do to get through it鈥�
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 鈥� Will Marx of Crawfordville has lived in Florida for the past five years and he says he鈥檚 always stayed at home during every storm that鈥檚 passed him.
Originally from Massachusetts, Marx said Wednesday that he was not as worried about Hurricane Helene since the storm is moving fast. While he didn鈥檛 put hurricane shutters up, he parked his car in an open area so that it wouldn鈥檛 be affected by falling branches.
鈥淒o what you got to do to get through it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the slow moving ones that are really bad.鈥�
Tampa airport to suspend operations early Thursday
TAMPA, Fla. 鈥� Tampa International Airport in Florida will suspend operations early Thursday ahead of when Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in the U.S.
The airport said in a statement Wednesday that 鈥渁ll commercial and cargo operations beginning at 2 a.m.鈥� would be suspended, with the airport remaining closed to the public until any damage can be assessed. Additionally, it said three other public airports managed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority 鈥� Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City 鈥� would close at the same time.
The airport advised travelers to contact their airlines for more information and noted that the airport 鈥渨ill not be open for public use and is not equipped to function as a shelter for people or vehicles.鈥�
More than 30 Georgia counties are under a hurricane warning
ALBANY, Ga. 鈥� Concerns deepened Wednesday afternoon that Helene鈥檚 hurricane-force winds could be felt far inland when the storm is forecast to move rapidly northward into southern Georgia after striking Florida.
More than 30 counties in southern Georgia were under a hurricane warning from the National Weather Service on Wednesday, including some rural areas roughly 100 miles north of the Georgia-Florida line.
The hurricane warning area for Georgia included Albany, southwest Georgia鈥檚 largest city with a population of 67,000, as well as Valdosta, home to 55,000 along Interstate 75. Helene approached barely a year after Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County took a beating from Hurricane Idalia, which damaged more than 1,000 homes and inflicted more than $6 million in damage.
鈥楲ord willing, the oysters will survive鈥�
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� Oyster farmer Cainnon Gregg is spending Wednesday in a wetsuit, sinking his floating cages full of oysters to the bottom of Oyster Bay near Spring Creek, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Tallahassee. It鈥檚 an attempt to keep his prized bivalves and the specialized aquaculture equipment that houses them from being blown apart by Hurricane Helene.
鈥淟ord willing, the oysters will survive. But the main goal is to keep the equipment,鈥� Gregg said. 鈥淚f you lose your equipment, most of us can鈥檛 afford $50,000, $100,000 to start over.鈥�
Gregg is part of a coalition of oyster farmers along what鈥檚 known as Florida鈥檚 Forgotten Coast, a largely undeveloped stretch of the state where for generations commercial fishing has been an industry and a way of life.
Gregg said he hopes to harvest one last truckload of his signature Salty Birds and Big Gulp oysters 鈥� banking on one final paycheck before Helene does its worst.
鈥淚 was sitting here yesterday after we got done working and we were drinking a beer before we left. And I was looking around and I was like, 鈥榤an, this might be the last time we sit here鈥�,鈥� Gregg said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a good chance that we come back and it鈥檚 not here.鈥�
Where to find more information about Florida evacuation orders
Ahead of Hurricane Helene鈥檚 arrival in Florida, at least 24 counties in the state were under an evacuation order by midday Wednesday, according to the state Division of Emergency Management.
While some orders were voluntary, others were mandatory 鈥� applying in part or entirely to a given county. Some orders also specifically applied to individuals in one of at least evacuation zones: A, B or C.
Florida residents looking for more information about evacuation zones and evacuation orders in their area can .
North Carolina鈥檚 governor declares state of emergency ahead of Helene
RALEIGH, N.C. 鈥� North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a ahead of Hurricane Helene on Wednesday as the state prepares for severe weather impacts that could threaten life and property across North Carolina through Saturday morning.
鈥淗elene threatens heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont areas of our state,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淣ow is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area.鈥�
The State Emergency Response Team is deploying equipment, personnel and resources to support impacted communities, including resources from the North Carolina National Guard.
鈥榃e鈥檙e certainly worried about the intensity of this one鈥�
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 鈥� Paulette and Ben McLin are going to be spending the storm in their Tallahassee home, but Ben McLin said they are worried about whether their summer home in Alligator Point will still be intact after Helene blows through.
Ben McLin said that they鈥檝e owned the home since 1963 and as a Tallahassee native, he鈥檚 no stranger to storms.
鈥淵ou know, Kate was the worst one we went through and it was a Category 1,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e got a Category 3 now, so we鈥檙e certainly worried about the intensity of this one.鈥�
He said they prepared the house with shutters, but said they鈥檝e done all they can to prepare. Now, the couple has their fingers crossed that it鈥檒l be fine.
Officials warn of potentially catastrophic flooding inland
In the mountains of North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, emergency officials are warning of potentially catastrophic flooding from back-to-back blows of heavy rain.
The is predicting up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) could fall over the next three days 鈥� first from a front over the region and then from Helene itself as the storm rushes through.
The impact could be similar to in 2021, when a heavy rain event just before combined with the tropical storm rains to cause floods that killed six people and damaged close to 1,000 homes and two dozen bridges.
鈥淲e鈥檙e three years out from that major flood. It鈥檚 very fresh in our minds,鈥� Haywood County Emergency Services spokesperson Allison Richmond said.
Haywood County was hard hit in part because the extent of the 2021 flood wasn鈥檛 apparent until just before it struck. The county has added several river and stream gauges upstream in the higher ground of the county to have longer warnings and more precise data on the severity of any flooding, Richmond said.
鈥楶eople are taking heed and hightailing it out of there for higher ground鈥�
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� As residents of Florida鈥檚 Big Bend batten down their homes ahead of Hurricane Helene鈥檚 expected landfall, the memories of Hurricane Michael in 2018 are fresh on the minds of many. That storm rapidly intensified before crashing ashore as a Category 5 that laid waste to Panama City and parts of the rural Florida Panhandle.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 this lackadaisical attitude where 鈥� 鈥業t鈥檒l be fine, it鈥檚 only a Cat 3.鈥� Well, a Cat 3 can escalate to a Cat 5 pretty quickly,鈥� said Kristin Korinko, a Tallahassee resident and the commodore of the Shell Point Sailboard Club, which sits on the Gulf Coast in Wakulla County, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of the state capital.
Korinko said most of her friends on the coast are following Wakulla鈥檚 countywide mandatory evacuation order issued by local officials. The county isn鈥檛 opening any emergency shelters.
鈥淧eople are taking heed and hightailing it out of there for higher ground,鈥� Korinko said.
Hurricane or not, one Florida resident is still serving up barbecue
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� Pitmaster Edwin Barcus of E&J鈥檚 BBQ on Tallahassee鈥檚 south side wasn鈥檛 letting Hurricane Helene get in the way of him serving up plates of barbecue ribs and chicken on Wednesday.
鈥淩ain or shine, it鈥檚 barbecue time,鈥� Barcus said.
Smoke billowed off the smoldering pecan and cherry wood in Barcus鈥� twin smokers. While other Tallahassee residents were filling up on gas and securing their homes, Barcus was tending his racks of pork ribs 鈥� the first batch of which he got on the smoker around 5 a.m.
He intends to keep serving customers until about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, regardless of the ferocious storm charting a collision course with the Florida Panhandle.
鈥淪ometimes peoples鈥� lights go out early. So I try to come early to help the community out so they won鈥檛 have to worry about eating,鈥� Barcus said. 鈥淚 always try to give something back.鈥�
鈥業 hope when we come back our house is still the same as it was鈥�
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� Roommates Frank Pinkney and Kameron Benjamin were filling up sandbags Wednesday at a community center in Tallahassee to protect their apartment.
The 19-year-old at Florida A&M students planned to evacuate after they were done.
鈥淚t鈥檚 different with this storm,鈥� Benjamin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 from South Florida so we get a lot of hurricanes but they usually go through islands before it gets to us. But this hurricane is heading straight to Tallahassee, so I really don鈥檛 know what to expect.
鈥淚 hope that it kind of just blows over and it鈥檚 not as intense as it is being made to seem.鈥�
Like his roommate, Pinkney said he hoped the storm didn鈥檛 tear up Tallahassee.
鈥淚 hope when we come back our house is still the same as it was, as we left it. But not really nervous, just cautious about what is going on around us.鈥�
John has re-formed as a tropical storm in the Pacific off Mexico鈥檚 western coast, forecasters say
MIAMI 鈥� In the Pacific, re-formed as a tropical storm Wednesday and threatened areas of Mexico鈥檚 western coast anew. John had hit the country鈥檚 southern Pacific coast late Monday, killing two people, blowing tin roofs off houses, triggering mudslides and toppling scores of trees, officials said Tuesday.
It in a matter of hours and made landfall about 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of the resort city of Acapulco. It weakened to a tropical storm after moving inland but later reemerged over the ocean.
On Wednesday, officials issued a hurricane watch for the coast from Acapulco to Zihuatanejo and tropical storm warnings from Punta Maldonado to Lazaro Cardenas. John was about 110 miles (180 kilometers) southwest of Acapulco with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving east at 2 mph (4 kph).
DeSantis warns Florida residents to make final preparations for Helene
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents they needed to make their final preparations on Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Helene making landfall in the Panhandle as anywhere from a Category 1 to Category 4 hurricane in the next day or two.
The governor urged coastal communities to heed evacuation orders, saying residents don鈥檛 need to drive hundreds of miles away from their homes but just find higher ground at a shelter, hotel or friend鈥檚 house.
鈥淭he models vary on how intense this could be, but there鈥檚 clearly a pathway for this to rapidly intensify prior to making landfall,鈥� DeSantis said at a news conference in Tampa.
As of early Wednesday, 61 out of 67 counties in Florida were under a state of emergency, and another three counties were under a warning or watch, with landfall expected Thursday evening in northern Florida, DeSantis said.
Impacts may be felt as far as 250 miles (402.34 kilometers) from the center of the storm, and some outer bands already were being felt in the Florida Keys Wednesday morning, said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Helene strengthens into a hurricane
MIAMI 鈥� Helene strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday, and forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida.
The hurricane was about 500 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it is expected to become a major hurricane with its center making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida鈥檚 northwestern coast as soon as late Thursday.
Helene became a tropical storm Tuesday in the western Caribbean Sea and caused flooding in the Cayman Islands.
Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, with a life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the hurricane center.
Evacuation orders issued in several Florida counties
Several counties on Florida鈥檚 west and northwestern coasts have issued evacuation orders as Tropical Storm Helene makes its way along Mexico鈥檚 coast toward the U.S. Multiple school districts, including in the areas around Tampa and the state capital Tallahassee, plan to close schools or reduce hours starting Wednesday.
The University of Tampa also issued a mandatory campus evacuation order Wednesday morning. The school said in a post on the social platform X that 鈥渞esidence halls will be closed after the evacuation concludes, and there will be no entry allowed into residential buildings until they are reopened following the storm.鈥� The evacuation order goes into effect at 1 p.m.
Empty supermarket shelves and gas stations running out of fuel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� With Tropical Storm Helene moving north along Mexico鈥檚 coast toward the U.S., gas stations in the Tallahassee area were already starting to run out of gas on Monday, and supermarket shelves were being emptied of water and other supplies. Florida State and Florida A&M universities were shut down ahead of the storm and government offices were closing as of Wednesday afternoon.
About 80 percent of the region was without power after Hurricane Hermine in 2016, a Category 1 storm, and it took more than a week to restore electricity for many customers.
Known for its large oak trees and canopy roads, Tallahassee is still recovering from tornadoes that slammed through the heart of the city in May, damaging homes and businesses and destroying scores of trees. The storms caused extensive damage in the city鈥檚 beloved Railroad Square district of art studios and offbeat shops.
Hunkering down in Florida
CRAWFORD, Fla. 鈥� Will Marx stopped at the hardware store before hunkering down Wednesday in his double-wide trailer 13 miles (20.92 kilometers) inland in Crawfordville, Florida. He said people were stocking up on gas and tarps.
Marx, a 64-year-old retiree, figured he was as ready as he could be. He had extra water and a charged phone, and moved his vehicle away from trees that might fall in high winds.
鈥淲e will know tomorrow I guess,鈥� he said.
He said he lived in New England before moving to Florida.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like snow, I guess it ain鈥檛 a good place to live and you have to be prepared for it. It is just a different mindset down here 鈥� you have to be prepared. But I guess it鈥檚 like anywhere in this country, whether it be twisters or earthquakes. You know, you don鈥檛 get it totally without some risk.鈥�
鈥楾his is going to be a large and strong storm,鈥� researcher says
ORLANDO, Fla. 鈥� Because Helene is such a fast-moving storm, it won鈥檛 dump as much rain on Florida as past hurricanes have done, but its winds may impact places as far inland as northern Georgia, Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami鈥檚 Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, said Wednesday.
鈥淵ou are going to see destructive winds not only in Tallahassee but in Atlanta,鈥� McNoldy said. 鈥淵ou are going to have a major hurricane plowing inland, and storms take a little time to decay once they鈥檙e inland.鈥�
The models are showing a big wind field, which is why 64 out of 67 counties are under either an emergency order, a watch or warning, he said.
鈥淭hat this is going to be a large and strong storm,鈥� McNoldy said. 鈥滻t is going to be moving very quickly.鈥�
Cattle moved to higher ground in Cuba
HAVANA 鈥� In western Cuba, authorities moved cattle to higher ground and took measures to protect tobacco leaves as fishermen pulled boats to dry land. Seven medical brigades were dispatched to communities usually cut off by storms.
Tropical Storm Helene was expected to dump heavy rain on the western part of an island already struggling with severe water shortages and chronic power outages.
Helene is pelting Mexico鈥檚 Caribbean coast resorts with rain and strong winds
MEXICO CITY 鈥� Tropical Storm Helene was pelting Mexico鈥檚 Caribbean coast resorts from Cozumel to Cancun with rain, high waves and strong winds early Wednesday.
Mara Lezama, the governor of the coastal state of Quintana Roo, shared photos of downed trees and rain-swept streets, and videos of the normally placid, turquoise waters off the island of Cozumel being whipped into angry waves that broke over the seawall of the coastal boulevard.
In Cancun, heavy waves threatened to worsen the resort鈥檚 ongoing problem with beach erosion.
Helene鈥檚 hurricane-force winds could spread damage to inland Georgia, forecasters say
VALDOSTA, Ga. 鈥� Forecasters warned that Tropical Storm Helene鈥檚 hurricane-force winds could spread damage far inland as the storm races northward from the Gulf Coast. Fifteen counties in southern Georgia were under a hurricane warning Wednesday, including some rural areas roughly 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of the Georgia-Florida line.
The hurricane warning area for Georgia included Valdosta, a city of 55,000 along Interstate 75. Helene approached barely a year after Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County took a beating from Hurricane Idalia, which damaged more than 1,000 homes and inflicted more than $6 million in damage.
Forecasters have predicted an above-average hurricane season
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year . It forecast 17 to 25 named storms before the season ends Nov. 30, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
Biden has declared a state of emergency in Florida
President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and deployed Federal Emergency Management Agency teams to Florida and Alabama to support local first responders. Federal authorities were positioning generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue and power restoration teams, the White House said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also issued an emergency for most of the state鈥檚 counties, while Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared an emergency in his state as well.
Tornadoes could be possible in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
Forecasters warned of the possibility of tornadoes Wednesday night over parts of the western Florida peninsula and southern Alabama and said the tornado risk would increase Thursday, expanding across Florida and into parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia
The National Weather Service says tropical storm warnings are in effect for:
鈥� The upper Florida Keys
鈥� The southern Florida Peninsula
鈥� The northeast coast of Florida
鈥� Altamaha Sound, Georgia
Hurricane watches, which are a step down from warnings, are also in effect for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including the Tampa Bay area.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for the South Carolina coast north of the Savannah River to the South Santee River.
Where is Helene now?
An 8 a.m. ET forecast from the National Weather Service showed Helene was located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west-southwest of the western tip of Cuba as it moved northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph).
Tropical Storm Helene strengthens as hurricane
is rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and is Wednesday while moving north along Mexico鈥檚 coast toward the U.S., prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.
The storm is forecast to be 鈥渘ear hurricane strength鈥� when it passes near Mexico鈥檚 Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, with a 鈥渓ife-threatening storm surge鈥� along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the center.
Helene is expected to become a major hurricane 鈥� a Category 3 or higher 鈥� on Thursday, the day it鈥檚 set to reach Florida鈥檚 Gulf Coast, according to the hurricane center. The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico鈥檚 Yucatan Peninsula and Florida鈥檚 northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.
National Hurricane Center issues hurricane warnings for parts of Florida and Mexico
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane warnings for northwestern Florida鈥檚 coastline and part of Mexico鈥檚 Yucatan Peninsula as Tropical Storm Helene approaches the area.
Helene is expected to strengthen into a hurricane Wednesday and could become a major hurricane Thursday.
Areas of western Cuba and Florida, including Tampa Bay, were under hurricane watches Tuesday evening. A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Cuba and Florida鈥檚 southwestern coastline, including the Florida Keys.
A storm surge warning was in effect for Florida鈥檚 Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and from Indian Pass south to Flamingo. Florida and Georgia鈥檚 eastern coasts, from Palm Beach to the Savannah River, were under a tropical storm watch.
The Associated Press
