Tracker, projected path, latest forecast

The National Weather Service office in Atlanta has issued a tornado warning for portions of Georgia and South Carolina, with widespread flooding expected due to the large amounts of rain Helene brought.

Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle Thursday evening as a Category 3 or higher major hurricane before sweeping across Georgia, forecasters said.

More than 42 million people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama are under hurricane and tropical storm warnings, according to the National Weather Service, as the storm approaches landfall somewhere in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday.

After landfall, the storm is expected to continue into Georgia, where significant impacts from the storm are expected throughout the state and in north and central Georgia, according to the National Weather Service office in Atlanta.

Significant storm surge and coastal flooding are expected in the Peach State, with parts of Savannah potentially experiencing flooding Thursday night into Friday. North and central Georgia could experience flooding and damaging wind gusts, leading to power outages and even short-lived tornadoes.

On Thursday morning, the service issued a tornado warning for parts of Georgia and South Carolina until 9 p.m. ET. The area monitored includes Savannah, Charleston and Columbia.

Finish your preparations now, says NWS

The storm’s impacts are expected to begin Thursday afternoon and forecasters say they will peak Thursday night into Friday. If preparations for the storm are not yet complete, officials warn they must be done immediately.

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a dire warning warning residents in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that inland flooding could be a deadly factor even after the first hurricane.

“NOAA’s National Weather Service is alerting communities that the flooding rains and strong winds from Helene will not be limited to the Gulf Coast and are expected to extend hundreds of miles inland,” the release said.

The service warned that major flooding risks outside Florida could include areas around metro Atlanta and western North Carolina.

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Weather warnings for Georgia

Featuring: Gabe Hauari, Dinah Voyles Pulver

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a featured news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

The National Weather Service office in Atlanta has issued a tornado warning for portions of Georgia and South Carolina, with widespread flooding expected due to the large amounts of rain Helene brought.

Finish your preparations now, says NWS

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Weather warnings for Georgia

Related Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply