Thousands of people began evacuating the Florida coast on Wednesday as Hurricane Helene approached. Originally a tropical storm, Helene has strengthened into a hurricane as it heads toward the southeastern United States. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the hurricane is expected to become a “major hurricane,” possibly a Category 3 or 4 on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale.
Its arrival on the Florida coast is expected for Thursday evening, with “strong winds and torrential rains” expected to affect much of Florida and the southeast of the country. NHC forecasts sustained winds of 200 km/h and gusts of 250 km/h by Thursday evening, theOrlando Sentinel“It’s going to be a big storm, and by big I don’t mean its intensity but its size,” Jaime Rhome, deputy director of the NHC, told the local newspaper.
The National Guard mobilized
In response to the threat, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took action by declaring a state of emergency for nearly all of the state’s 67 counties. He also ordered the National Guard and thousands of personnel to conduct search and rescue missions, restore power and clear roads after the hurricane. “You’re going to feel the impacts of this storm,” he said. […] “in the entire Florida peninsula,” DeSantis said.
Several counties have already taken steps to protect their populations: Ten have issued mandatory partial evacuation orders, while two have ordered a full evacuation of all residents. Health care facilities and nursing homes have also begun evacuating patients, with more expected to follow. Coastal counties could face waves as high as 18 feet.
Hurricanes are getting more violent
In Tampa, lines of cars formed around sandbag distribution points to protect homes from flooding in anticipation of the hurricane. Area residents, accustomed to dealing with recurring hurricanes, are bracing themselves, though some acknowledge that recent storms have been increasingly violent. “We’re used to it, but in the last few years, the hurricanes have been getting really, really bad,” said Lorraine Major, a 44-year-old teacher.
If Helene’s predictions come true, it would mark the first hurricane of this magnitude to hit the United States in more than a year. The last hurricane of this magnitude, Idalia, hit northeastern Florida in August 2023. Despite a calmer-than-expected Atlantic hurricane season, scientists warn that climate change, through warming oceans, is causing storms to intensify rapidly, increasing the risk of more powerful hurricanes.