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Florida is bracing for “unsurvivable” storm surge as Hurricane Helene is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall later today.
Just over a month after Storm Debby hurtled into the Sunshine State, Hurricane Helene now threatens to become the strongest storm to hit the US in over a year. It is expected to make landfall near Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday.
Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 2 storm, has 105mph winds as of Thursday morning, with sustained winds potentially building up to 135mph. Florida officials are warning residents to brace for life-threatening rain, floods and storm surge.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and several areas remain under hurricane warnings. Florida’s Big Bend will see the worst of the storm surge, with up to 20ft possible this week.
On Wednesday, Florida Senator Rick Scott told residents that those in the path of the storm surge won’t survive.
“In the Big Bend, they’re talking about possibly 18ft of storm surge,” Scott said in Taylor County. “I’m a little over six feet — that’s three times my height. None of us are living that....You’re not going to survive.”
