Two days ago, we wrote that Hurricane Helene is the third storm in 13 months to threaten Florida’s Big Bend coastline. It’s no longer threatening. It’s happening. Helene is just a few hours from from making landfall, and the powerful storm is gaining steam with every update.
According to the latest NOAA update, “Helene has rapidly intensified today while nearing landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Doppler radar and aircraft data indicate that the eyewall is now completely closed and the eye has become more circular and is clearing out.”
NOAA continues: “The hurricane has intensified by 30 kt since sunrise and given the conducive environmental conditions and contracting inner core, it seems likely that Helene will be at or very near category 4 strength when it makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend this evening.”
A Category 4 storm is devastating. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana as a Category 3, and it absolutely destroyed New Orleans. The majority of that damage was caused by the extreme flooding. Unfortunately, in the Gulf of Mexico, there’s nowhere for all of that churned up water to go except inland, which is why the storm surge projections for Florida’s Big Bend are staggering: 15 to 20 feet.
“A catastrophic and deadly storm surge will occur along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” warns NOAA. “If you live in this area and were told to evacuate by local officials, your opportunity to do so is almost over. There is also a danger of a life-threatening storm surge along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula, and potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds are expected within the eyewall of Helene and will spread inland over portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia when Helene makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend region this evening.”
At this point, we hope everyone in the Big Bend area between Apalachicola and Chassahowitzka have already evacuated. Storms like this one are no to be taken lightly. And while surfers to the west of the storm in Pensacola and Panama City scored some fun waves today, we’re sure they’d happily give them all back to spare their Big Bend neighbors from what’s about to happen.