‘Catastrophic’ Helene sets its sights on Florida and the Southeast

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Evacuation orders and curfews are in place across Florida and southern Georgia as Hurricane Helene races toward land.

The storm, packing winds of over 155 mph, will continue intensifying before striking the Big Bend area of Florida, likely somewhere in Wakulla County, late tonight.

Officials anticipate Helene will reach top wind speeds of nearly 130 mph when it finally reaches the Florida coast. The storm is expected to barrel northward, bringing “historic” and “unprecedented” damage to the state’s capitol city of Tallahassee.

Tallahassee’s mayor said Helene is likely to be the “strongest hurricane in recorded history ever to hit” the area.

“We’re very prepared, but I’m very nervous, and I hope everyone is nervous,” mayor John Daily told NBC news. “This is a big storm. It is going to cause a lot of damage.”

The city of just over 200,000 people sits roughly 30 miles from the Gulf coast. It is renown for its centuries-old oak trees that line much of the downtown area. Thousands were replanted after a devastating fire in the mid 1800s destroyed half the trees in the city. Now, with forecasters predicting the city could experience winds in excess of 110mph as Helene hits, much of the tree canopy could be destroyed once again.

Helene likely to cause extensive damage across much of the Southeastern US

Devastation from Helene will extend far beyond the Tallahassee metro area. Areas along the immediate coastline are bracing for a storm surge of up to 20 feet. Farther inland, Helene will likely maintain tropical storm strength far into northern Georgia. Forecast models indicate areas as far north as Atlanta could experience wind gusts in excess of 80mph.

Even the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina could experience tropical storm conditions during the day on Friday.

Officials across the region are urging residents to stay indoors and avoid travel during and immediately following Helene’s impact.

Jared Miller, the Sheriff of Wakulla County, Florida, posted a message to his constituents late Thursday morning.

“Today and the coming days appear to be uncharted territory for our community,” Miller wrote. “I have lived here my entire life and have never witnessed some of the storm predictions we are currently seeing.”

“May God keep each of you safe during this storm and may God Bless Wakulla County.”