Florida Braces For Hurricane Helene | Weather.com (2024)

Florida is bracing for what could be devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene.

Evacuations are underway in all or parts of more than 15 Florida counties, mostly in the western half of the state. Schools and government offices are closed across the Peninsula and residents statewide are being told to prepare for impacts from the storm.

Helene's wrath won't end at landfall.

"Conditions along the Gulf Coast will go downhill quickly as Helene approaches," weather.com on-camera meteorologist Robb Ellis said. "Storm surge is forecast to be record-breaking, but this storm's impacts will extend far away from landfall. Devastating flooding could occur in the mountains of the Carolinas. Gusty winds will continue for the Southeast and the Midwest as Helene tracks inland."

W​idespread power outages are also a concern.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for his entire state ahead of the storm's trek inland, as did Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

(​MORE: Hurricane Tracker Maps | Latest Forecast)

H​ere are our live updates as the storm continued to gain strength Wednesday:

(​8:10 p.m. ET) Evacuations Extend To More Than 15 Counties In Florida

T​he list of mandatory evacuation orders includes portions of or specific types of housing in: Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota,

C​ounty-wide evacuations are in place in Franklin, Taylor and Wakulla counties.

(​MORE: How To Know Your Evacuation Zone In Florida)

(​7:49 p.m. ET) Oyster Farmers Brace For The Worst

Oyster farmers in Florida's Big Bend region are rushing to get ready for Helene.

“It’s intense, especially when you have a storm that looks like it’s going to be a direct hit," Deborah Keller, known as "Oyster Mom," said in a phone call this evening.

K​eller is a previous oyster farmer and now business owner in an area of the Gulf of Mexico south of Tallahassee known as Oyster Bay. The shellfish grow in cages supported by pontoons. When a storm's coming, farmers fill the pontoons with water so they sink.

“Sinking them puts them on the bottom … so there’s hopefully less damage and less mortality to the oysters," Keller said.

She added that the work is "incredibly arduous." They also have to secure other equipment, including their boats.

O​yster Bay is off Wakulla County, which has a county-wide mandatory evacuation.

K​eller said the aquaculturists there are feeling the impacts of more extreme weather.

“We are so affected by climate change," she said. "Even the regular storms are causing us damage.”

(​7:17 p.m. ET) College Students Head Home

Instead of enjoying one of her first freshman year weekends at F​lorida State University, student Isabella Seymour is at home in Orlando.

"I first heard about it in my philosophy class, we were all just kind of sitting there taking notes ... and the kids behind me were like, 'There's some storm coming,'" Seymour told us earlier today.

She didn't think much of it.

"Because I remember in high school because I lived in Orlando, and it was always like, there's a hurricane coming and they cancel school and then it was really nothing," she said.

Then she heard more about Helene's forecast to become a major hurricane.

"And I live in a dorm and I actually sleep right next to a massive window. So I was like, 'no,'" Seymour said.

S​he rode the 4.5 hours back to Orlando with friends and plans to ride out Helene at home.

Most of Florida's public universities canceled classes or shut down campuses for at least Thursday, some through the weekend. Besides FSU, the list of colleges closing includes the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of North Florida, Florida A&M University and University of West Florida.

(​7:05 p.m. ET) Hurricane Hunters Get Inside View Of Helene

A NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane captured ominous footage from inside the eye of Hurricane Helene as it roared through the Gulf of Mexico. The eerie calm at the storm's center contrasted with the violent winds swirling just beyond the aircraft's wings.

An engineer onboard the aircraft warned residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast to take the looming threat seriously and highlighted the urgency of preparing for the storm

See what it looked like here.

(​6:13 p.m. ET) Tropical Storm Warning Versus Hurricane Warning

T​he entire state of South Carolina is now under a Tropical Storm Warning, as are all areas of Georgia not already covered by a hurricane warning.

A​lmost all of Florida is either in hurricane warnings or tropical storm warnings.

A hurricane or tropical storm warning generally means hurricane winds (74 mph or higher sustained) or tropical storm winds (39 to 73 mph sustained) are expected within 36 hours.

(MORE: Hurricane Season Terms You Should Know)

(5:55 p.m. ET) Braves-Mets Games Rescheduled

Major League Baseball g​ames Wednesday and Thursday between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are postponed. The games at Atlanta's Truist Park will instead be played Monday as part of a traditional doubleheader.

(4:54 p.m. ET) F​lorida, Georgia School Closures

N​early every school district in Florida is shutting down schools Thursday, and many are also closed Friday.

Palm Beach County Schools are the latest to announce a closure. Other large school systems on the closures list in Florida include Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Duval and Brevard.

I​n Georgia, Atlanta Public Schools are closed Thursday and Friday. Other Georgia school districts announcing closures include Cherokee, Clayton and Newton. S​ome districts will move to online classes, while others are on fall break.

(4:40 p.m. ET) St. Pete Airport Closing, Orland Airport Monitoring The Storm

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which is in a mandatory evacuation zone, will close after the last flight arrives Wednesday, remaining closed through Thursday. The airport plans to reopen Friday morning.

Tampa International Airport will shut operations beginning at 2 a.m. Thursday, with plans to resume flights when it is safe to do so on Friday.

Orlando International Airport will remain open, but warned travelers that they may encounter delays or cancellations.

(​3:53 p.m. ET) 'Bad Feeling' In Tallahassee

R​esidents in North Florida, including the state capital, could be clobbered by Helene.

“I got a bad feeling about this one. We've never taken that direct hit," Tallahassee resident Chris Omar told the Associated Press as he joined locals preparing for Hurricane Helene’s arrival.

With warnings intensifying, residents scrambled to fill sandbags and board up windows before the storm made landfall.

"It's supposed to be moving fast so I'm worried about the winds more than the water,” Omar added.

Schools in and around Tallahassee closed and emergency declarations were issued as Helene strengthened in the Gulf.

"We've got three big trees over the house. One of them is 500 years old. And I'm not sure that tree's ever seen a storm like this," said Omar, echoing the concerns of many in Florida bracing for the worst.

(3:24 p.m. ET) More On The Potentially Deadly Flood Threat

More from weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Edrman on the flood threat for North Georgia and the Southern Appalachians:

Unless a flash flood forces you to flee your home, I would avoid all travel in these areas from tonight through at least early Friday. If you come across a flooded road, never attempt to drive through it. Turn around.

(3:09 p.m. ET) Helene’s Downpour In Cuba Shown In Photos

Helene dumped heavy rain on Cuba overnight, with more than 7.5 inches over 24 hours clocked in parts of the island. The rainfall caused roads to flood and strong winds tore roofs off of homes and destroyed crops. In the photo above, you can see flooding in a street as a resident tries to keep dry under a piece of plastic in Batabano, Cuba.

(2:12 p.m. ET) Third Year In College, Third Year Evacuated

Paige Wilkins, 20, came to Florida from the Midwest in 2022 to major in marine science. She picked the University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, which sits in an urban area on the shores of Tampa Bay.

Most of the campus, including dorms, are in a primary evacuation zone.

“I didn’t even think anything about it. I didn’t know a single thing about hurricanes,” Wilkins said in a phone interview. “The first hurricane hit and I was kind of like, huh?”

That was Ian, about a month into freshman year. Last year it was Idalia. And now Helene.

By now, she’s a pro at hunkering down with friends who are outside of mandatory evacuations, in a sturdy home with plenty of supplies.

“Everyone in Florida knows how to lock down their homes during a hurricane," Wilkins said.

(​1:53 p.m. ET) Boarding Up In Florida

T​ampa Bay

The Big Bend

(1:37 p.m. ET) Dangerous Flooding In Parts Of North Georgia, Including Atlanta Metro

From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Edrman:

The high danger of flash flooding in north Georgia and the southern Appalachians is because there are two rounds of heavy rain.

The first round will occur later today into early tomorrow as deep tropical moisture intercepts a stalling front. The second round arrives with Helene Thursday and continues into early Friday, with heavy rain falling on top of ground soaked from the first round.

The combination of these two events could dump 5 to 15 inches of total rainfall in these areas.

(​1:21 p.m. ET) Tampa Airport To Shut Down

T​ampa International, one of the busiest airports in Florida, will suspend operations at 2 a.m. Thursday. Damage assessments will need to be complete before re-opening. Airport officials anticipate that happening sometime Friday.

A​nyone flying to Florida or throughout the Southeast in the coming days should check with their airlines before heading out. Several major airlines are waiving change fees in areas expected to be impacted by Helene.

(​1:07 p.m. ET) Wet Ground, High Winds Could Be Power Outage Disaster For Georgia

Georgia Power is asking people to stay out of the way of emergency workers and power crews when Helene moves inland.

“Before we can begin work restoring the power we have to make sure all the debris, and the trees and everything is moved out of the way," spokesperson Amanda Arnold told The Weather Channel. "For our customers, and residents of Georgia specifically, please stay home and stay off of the roads, especially during the storm and after the storm.”

(​12:44 p.m. ET) City Of Tampa 'Already Saturated'

T​ampa Mayor Jane Castor says the city is soaked from recent heavy rainfalls.

“So our community is really saturated," Castor told The Weather Channel. "We’ve spent a great deal of time focusing on our stormwater processes and we have actually removed 84 tons of debris and so forth from our stormwater systems to make sure that that rainwater can get out quickly.”

T​ampa is in Hillsborough County, where a mandatory evacuation is underway for people in zone A, which includes coastal and low-lying areas, as well as for those living in mobile homes or manufactured housing.

(12:10 p.m. ET) Universal Orlando Water Park To Close

Universal Orlando Resort announced that the water park within the resort, Universal Volcano Bay, will be closed on Thursday, September 26 with the expectation of reopening the following day. The rest of Universal Orlando Resort’s parks and facilities will operate normally.

(12:00 p.m. ET) Georgia Prepares For Helene

A Tropical Storm Warning has been extended north along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. In response to that updated forecast, Valdosta State University announced it will be closed Thursday Sept. 26 and Friday Sept. 27. All Brooks County schools will also be closed on those days. Brooks County is on the border of Florida.

(11:50 a.m. ET) How High Is 10 Plus Feet Of Storm Surge?

Many cities and towns in Florida are forecast to see dangerous to life-threatening storm surge. Along the Florida Big Bend coast, inundation of greater than 10 feet is expected. Just how high is that? The National Weather Service shared a helpful graphic that may put the danger into perspective.

(11:40 a.m. ET) Reminder: Don’t Trim Trees Now

Utility company Florida Power & Light reminded their customers in the path of Helene that now is not the time to trim trees. “High winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris,” the company wrote on X. "However, if you already have trimmed trees, please secure loose tree branches and objects outside to help prevent potential injuries and outages."

(11:23) a.m. ET) Pasco County Evacuation Orders In Effect

Mandatory evacuation orders are now in effect in Pasco County, Florida, affecting residents in Evacuation Zone A. Additionally, those living in a manufactured home, mobile home, recreational vehicle, low-lying area or flood-prone area must also evacuate. Evacuation Zones B and C are under a voluntary evacuation order as of now. To find your Pasco County evacuation zone, click here.

Hurricane Tracker Maps | Latest Forecast(​MORE: Your Guide To Common Hurricane Terminology)

(11:15 a.m. ET) Floridians Face Threat Of ‘Delayed Surge’

In a Wednesday morning press conference, Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Tim Dudley said, “Residents should recognize this will be a delayed surge coming in after the storm that will have passed overnight Thursday through Friday morning.” Residents living within the issued evacuation zone were urged to put their evacuation plans into action immediately. Hillsborough County evacuation information can be found here.

(11:00 a.m. ET) Helene is now a Category 1 Hurricane

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center alerted that Helene has reached hurricane strength. That makes it the fifth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season out of the eight named storms that have formed. A tropical storm warning has also been extended along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. For complete forecast details look here.

(10:35 a.m. ET) University Of Tampa Evacuations

The University of Tampa is working to evacuate all students living on campus by 1 p.m. ET today. That’s after Hillsborough County Emergency officials called for a mandatory evacuation of Evacuation Zone A. Residence halls will be closed and no entry will be allowed once the evacuations are complete. The university says only campus safety and facilities personnel will be allowed on campus after 1 p.m.

(10:00 a.m. ET) Pinellas County Issues Evacuation Orders

Pinellas County officials announced a mandatory evacuation order for “Zone A” residents as well as for every mobile home resident across the county. Public shelters are open. If you need to find your Pinellas County evacuation zone, click here.

(9:55 a.m. ET) Power Companies Staging Resources, Widespread Outages Likely

Power outages are expected to hit parts of Florida with widespread impacts across much of the state, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of neighboring states. The most widespread outages are expected in north and central Florida. Authorities are urging residents to prepare for outages lasting up to a week. Several utility providers have positioned resources and staff in anticipation of Helene.

(9:45 a.m. ET) Storm Surge Could Reach 15 Feet

National Weather Service forecasters are warning that storm surge levels could reach 15 feet above the ground in some parts of Florida. While less impactful, the remainder of the state’s coastline is also at risk. “The entire [west] coast of Florida will be impacted by surge,” the agency said.

(9:20 a.m. ET) Boat Owners: Secure Vessels Now

The Florida Fish and WIldlife Commission is urging vessel owners to secure their crafts now ahead of Helene’s arrival. Owners should move their vessel ashore as far from tidal waters as possible. If that is not possible, special steps should be taken to protect a moored or anchored boat. Vessel owners are reminded to not stay aboard their craft in an attempt to “ride out” the storm. “If you’re onboard during a bad storm, you are risking your life and the lives of potential responders,” the agency wrote in a press release. In some cases, marina evacuation may be mandatory.

(9:00 a.m. ET) Some Sandbags Still Available Today

Sarasota County officials said sandbags would still be available today at a limit of 10 per vehicle. A full list of available resources by county can be found here.

(6:00 a.m. ET) Will Disney Shut Down?

If you have a trip planned to Florida theme parks this week, be sure to check for the latest updates. While it’s rare for the major parks to close entirely, outdoor events might be canceled or individual rides and attractions temporarily shut down.

Most parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal in Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa, have a section on their websites dedicated to weather alerts and ticket policies.

(5:00 a.m. ET) Florida Universities Cancel Classes

Among the state universities and colleges announcing closures:

-Florida A&M University, Tuesday through Friday.

-Florida Gulf Coast University, Wednesday night through Thursday.

-Florida Polytechnic University, Thursday.

-Florida State University, Wednesday through Sunday..

-New College of Florida, Wednesday through Friday.

-University of Central Florida, Thursday.

-University of North Florida, Thursday and Friday.

-University of South Florida Wednesday through Friday.

R​enee Straker, Nicole Bonaccorso, Jenn Jordan and Joy Kigin contributed to this report.

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.