Hurricane Expected To Strike Florida This Week: Here’s What To Know
by Mary Whitfill Roeloffs · ForbesTopline
A storm system in the Caribbean Sea is expected to become Tropical Storm Helene by Tuesday and could be a "major hurricane" by the time it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center warns.
Key Facts
A system called Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine centered about 350 miles south-southeast of the western tip of Cuba has prompted tropical storm and hurricane watches in western Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and the western Florida coast and panhandle also stand to be impacted.
Forecasters predict the system will turn to the northwest in the next day, with its center passing through the Yucatan Channel and into the Gulf of Mexico, where “significant strengthening” is expected.
The system could be a major hurricane by the time it reaches the U.S. on Thursday, and there is an "increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds" in the same areas of Florida that were hit hard by Hurricane Idalia in August 2023.
A large swath of the Florida coastline—roughly from Tampa Bay to west of Panama City—is in the cone of uncertainty.
Heavy rains and flooding could take place in the western Caribbean, and mudslides are possible in western Cuba.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Big Number
110 mph. That's how strong the storm's winds are forecast to be as of 11 a.m. Thursday, which would classify the storm as a Category 2 hurricane, though forecasters note that prediction is “near or slightly below” computer model consensus and a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) is possible in Florida.
Crucial Quote
“It is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of impacts,” the National Hurricane Center noted of the Florida coastline in the cone of uncertainty. “Residents in these areas should monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place.”
Key Background
Helene would be the eighth named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and would come weeks after Francine made landfall as a Category 2 in Louisiana on Sept. 11. The only tropical storm to form in between the two, named Gordon, lost its strength in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday. Forecasters this year predicted the busiest storm season (from June 1 to Nov. 30) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever forecasted—up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes—but the season hasn't been as active as predicted so far.