“Helene” is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges, destructive winds and heavy rainfall, warns the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami. It is now on its way over the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico, where record-warm water is causing the hurricane to strengthen. The hurricane will probably be in category 4 – the second highest on the scale – when it reaches land, reports Reuters. Satellite image from NOAA showing where hurricane “Helene” is on Thursday morning Norwegian time. Winds over 250 km/h – For those who live in the path of the hurricane, it unfortunately means catastrophic destruction from the wind, says NHC deputy director Jamie Rhome. Residents in some places in Florida can expect up to 400 millimeters of rain and wind speeds of up to 251 km/h. For certain areas on Florida’s east coast, a flash flood warning of over 6 meters has been issued. Over 40 million people in the states of Florida, Georgia and Alabama live in the areas where hurricane or storm warnings are now issued. The refrigerated shelves of a Walmart supermarket in Tallahassee, Florida after people had stocked up while preparing for the hurricane. Photo: AP Just finished with repairs In St. Petersburg, Florida, 81-year-old Melissa Wolcott-Martino was busy packing her things to evacuate on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, she had just finished the last repairs after the previous hurricane, “Idalia”, which hit Florida last August. – We had “Idalia” last year. We just finished the repairs, finished the last details today, and now we are packing for another storm. This is not good, she says. A lot of rain in Cuba The rain led to major floods in Guanimar in Cuba. Photo: AP On the night of Wednesday, “Helene” hit western parts of Cuba. In some places, over 200 millimeters of rain fell within 24 hours. The result was major flooding and destroyed buildings. Crops in large areas of Pinar del Rio province have been destroyed. Cuba has a very effective warning system for hurricanes, and no deaths have been reported. On its way to Florida, the hurricane has hit the Mexican resort of Cancún. Photo: AFP Strongest in over a year If the warnings come true, “Helene” will be the strongest hurricane to hit the US in over a year. The previous powerful hurricane to hit the United States was when Idalia hit northwest Florida in August 2023. Scientists tell CNN that climate change is causing storms to become stronger because a warmer ocean gives them more energy. Map from NOAA showing how Hurricane Helene is expected to move. Photo: NOAA Published 26/09/2024, at 07.18
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Florida prepares for “catastrophic” hurricane – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
