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Carolinas, Tennessee Valley In the path of the storm

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Carolinas, Tennessee Valley In the path of the storm

Topline

Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 storm in Big Bend, Florida, knocking out power in over two million homes and businesses and causing at least six deaths in Florida and Georgia before hitting North Carolina and Tennessee on Friday Valley raced towards.

Important facts

The center of Helene, downgraded to a tropical storm since its landfall, was about 30 miles northeast of Athens, Georgia, as of 7 a.m. EDT Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

Helene is expected to bring “damaging gusty winds and life-threatening flooding” to the Southeast and southern Appalachians, with rainfall totals accumulating in isolated areas of up to 20 inches.

Tornadoes are possible Friday across portions of eastern Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia, and persistent tropical storm conditions are expected along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Asheville and McDowell counties in North Carolina as rivers and reservoirs are expected to swell due to heavy rain, and several schools in Kentucky and Indiana will be closed Friday as wind and heavy rain batter the region.

A storm surge warning remains in effect for parts of Florida, including Tampa Bay, and from Indian Pass to Apalachicola in the Panhandle.

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Important background

Hurricane Helene made landfall for the first time around 11:10 p.m. EDT near the town of Perry in the Big Bend area of ​​Florida. The storm has hit Florida and Georgia and claimed at least six lives, according to ABC News. At least one person has died in Florida, one in North Carolina and four in Georgia. Millions are without electricity. A flash flood emergency has been declared in Atlanta, where social media videos show dramatic rescue efforts.

What is a storm surge?

According to the National Weather Service, a storm surge is the “unusual increase in water produced by a storm” that exceeds the normal high tide. Surges are caused by strong onshore winds from a tropical storm or hurricane, and storm surge from tropical cyclones is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths, the National Hurricane Center said.

Does Helene influence the airlines?

Tampa International Airport closed to the public at 2 a.m. EDT Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene and “plans to resume operations Friday when it is safe to do so.”

tangent

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes weeks after Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 on September 11th. Forecasters predicted this year’s busiest storm season (from June 1 to November 30) the Atmospheric Administration has ever predicted – up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes – but the season so far has not been as active as predicted.

Further reading

ForbesHurricane Helene: Airlines issue travel warnings as storm heads toward FloridaFrom Suzanne Rowan KelleherForbesState forecasters are issuing the worst hurricane season forecast in their history – here’s whyFrom Brian BushardForbesHurricane Francine makes landfall in Category 2 LouisianaFrom Mary Whitfill Roeloffs

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