Hurricane Watch Issued For Florida’s Gulf Coast

September 24, 2024 News, Weather

The Tallahassee Democrat reports:

Hurricane, tropical storm, and storm surge watches have been issued for portions of Florida’s Gulf Coast as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine takes aim at Florida, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm that is expected to become a hurricane Wednesday could become a Category 3 hurricane with 115-mph winds by the time it makes landfall Thursday. “The potential for life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west gulf coast is increasing,” the Hurricane Center said.

“AccuWeather expert meteorologists expect this to be a highly impactful storm,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. “This could be the storm that the 2024 hurricane season is remembered for.”

The Weather Channel reports: 

Tuesday: The storm is expected to near Cancún, Cozumel and western Cuba becoming a named storm, Helene, at either tropical storm or even Category 1 hurricane intensity. Locally heavy rain, strong wind gusts and storm surge flooding are possible in those areas. Parts of western Cuba could pick up 12 inches of rain or more.

Wednesday: Helene could have some lingering impacts in Cancún, Cozumel and western Cuba, especially early. We then expect Helene to enter the southern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane. Some high surf and outer rainbands could reach parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast from the Keys to the Panhandle.

Thursday: Despite some remaining uncertainty in the forecast, Helene is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane Thursday afternoon or evening. While computer forecast models suggest the most likely location for a landfall is somewhere from Florida’s Big Bend to the Panhandle, remember that hurricane impacts (surge, winds, rain) often happen far from the center.​

Evacuation orders for some Florida counties are already being issued this morning.

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