Hurricane Helene impacts tracker: Live updates from Tallahassee

A strengthening Hurricane Helene is on her final approach to the Big Bend and Tallahassee as a storm whose fury has never been seen in this area.

Helene is expected to be a monster Category 4 hurricane upon landfall wielding winds up to 132 mph that could push up to 20 feet of water far inland into coastal communities.

As Helene closes in on a Thursday evening or early Friday morning landfall, residents in the path are preparing, hoping and praying.

Here’s the latest from the path of the storm:

Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad: 2K workers across all utilities will respond to Helene

Some 2,000 workers across all the city utilities and including mutual-aid electric repair crews and contract workers, will be working to restore power and other services once Hurricane Helene has passed, City Manager Reese Goad said in an interview with the Democrat.

Goad said he expects the damage to eclipse Hurricane Michael, which knocked out power to 90% of city customers in 2018. Repairs will take days, but estimates are unlikely until Saturday, after assessments are done. He added that the city put generators at critical intersections to keep signals operating while power is down and will deploy more as needed.

“I would expect hundreds of roads to be blocked by trees, based on our past experience, and so you’ll have a lot of roads that are impacted just by downed trees and wires,” Goad said. “And so that’ll take some time to dig out from that. Obviously, we would hope that people kind of stay still on Friday, allow the first responders to get out and do their work. Then I would be hopeful by the weekend that, people can start to move about a little bit, things start to resume a little bit of normalcy. But you know how long … the pace will be for restoration, it’s too early to say at this point.”

FSU athletics hunkers down for Helene

Florida State Athletics is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Helene as the potential major hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.

For instance, the FSU football team is flying out of Jacksonville International Airport a day ahead of its game against Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The Seminoles baseball complex was significantly damaged in the May 10 tornados that tore through Tallahassee. The right field wall of Dick Howser Stadium toppled over after the storms, with significant damage to the trees and surrounding area.

The wall was replaced in the days after the tornados, but the university is prepared for the potential arrival of Helene. Safety measures were put in place throughout the week with loose objects like chairs and training equipment moved indoors or zip-tied to fences.

FSU’s basketball stadium, the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Pensacola Street, is serving as an emergency shelter for students who elected to stay on campus as they were asked to evacuate their dorm.

— Liam Rooney

StarMetro to continue operations until 2 p.m. on Thursday

StarMetro has announced that they will be continuing operations until 2 p.m. on Thursday.

In both an email sent out by the city and posts made to social media, StarMetro communications shared that operations are set to resume “when it is safe to do so.”

— Arianna Otero

Waffle House closes all Tallahassee locations

Waffle House, a chain used by many as an unofficial benchmark for the severity of a disaster, has officially shuttered its doors at all its Tallahassee locations and Crawfordville location as Hurricane Helene approaches.

“In areas predicted to be hit hardest, we will preemptively close restaurants with a goal of reopening them as soon it is safe to do so, to serve communities that have been there for us over the years,” a Waffle House representative told the Tallahassee Democrat in an email Thursday afternoon.

Read the full story here.

Taylor County asks residents who didn’t evacuate to provide information for search and rescue

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents who decided not to evacuate to provide and email the following information to [email protected] so search and rescue can prioritize those locations:

Is the residence inland or on the coastline?
Full address of the residence
Your name
Name(s) of the resident(s) at this location
Number of individuals and animals present
Contact information for both yourself and the resident(s)
Any additional information, such as a recent photograph of the individual(s), disabilities, special requirements

The sheriff’s office is also asking residents who evacuated to return only when the Emergency Operations Center says it’s safe.

“Returning prematurely poses significant risks due to expected heavy flooding and other hazards. Many roads will be impassable, and there may be downed power lines, fallen trees, and other dangerous conditions,” the sheriff’s office said.

Wakulla County sheriff shares personal message to residents

Wakulla County Sheriff Jared F. Miller asked residents to join him in prayer for the coastal community, which will have a long road to recovery after Hurricane Helene.

“I have lived here my entire life and have never witnessed some of the storm predictions we are currently seeing,” he wrote on Facebook.

He assured residents the sheriff’s office would be ready to help during the recovery process and asked for patience once the storm passes.

“May God keep each of you safe during this storm and may God Bless Wakulla County,” he wrote.

NWS: Time running out for big changes in Helene track

There was no change in Hurricane Helene’s forecast track in the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. forecast, though its maximum sustained wind speeds were up slightly.

Helene is projected to make landfall tonight as a high-end Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. That’s slightly lower than Wednesday projections of a low-end Category 4.

Felicia Bowser, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, said Helene is expected to make landfall this evening.

“It’s still moving at a pretty decent speed,” she said.

As for Helene’s slight jog to the east, Bowser said it happened as of the NHC’s 11 p.m. Wednesday forecast and that any move in that direction since was “extremely incremental.”

“That slight eastward shift did occur, and the fact that it wobbles a little bit east, west, east, west, that’s pretty typical,” she said. “Will we not see any more wobbles? That’s just a little bit hard to say. Will it keep going east? That’s a little bit hard to say, too.”

She said NHC Hurricane Hunter aircraft will continue to collect data that will show whether there are more wobbles or the track is as refined as it will get.

“We’re definitely getting to that time where the refinements are probably going to be minimized, because it looks like it’s on target,” Bowser said. “And eventually that will happen.”

At 11 a.m., Helene was 290 miles south of Apalachicola and moving north-northeast at 14 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were 105 mph.

Power outages mount as Helene stalks Florida peninsula ahead of landfall

The power struggle has begun.

More than 27,000 Florida customers are already in the dark as an intensifying Hurricane Helene lashes the peninsula as it heads north to a Big Bend landfall.

South and central Florida counties like Lake, Collier, Lee, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade have the most outages, but as rain bands begins to lash northern Florida, even Wakulla and Leon counties are beginning to see outages with about 650 and 500 respectively.

To stay up to date with the latest outages, visit our power outage tracker.

Entire Big Bend under tornado watch; Franklin County warning set to expire

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for more than two dozen Florida counties, including Leon and nearby counties. The watch, which means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form, is in effect until 10 p.m.

Florida counties under the watch are: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla.

An earlier tornado warning for central Franklin County will expire at 11:30 a.m.

NWS in Tallahassee said, “The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.”

WeatherTiger’s offers ‘slightly positive trends’ for Tallahassee in latest Helene update

Dr. Ryan Truchelut of WeatherTiger offered up the one thing Tallahasseeans have been praying for — a glimmer of hope — in his latest forecast for Hurricane Helene.

Truchelut said Helene did not intensify as much as expected overnight. And while it’s still expected to become a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, the delay in intensification “is helpful in shaving a bit of the high-end potential off the hurricane’s core of destructive winds tonight,” he wrote.

In his newsletter to his subscribers on substack, Truchelut added that Helene nudged a few miles east, but no further, from the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. forecast centerline.

“I’ll be watching carefully to see if that persists, as every tick east counts towards increasing the potential for Tallahassee staying on the weaker, western half of the storm,” Truchelut wrote. “Make no mistake: in Tallahassee, your rooting interest is that the center of Helene passes to our east.”

Helene was about 350 miles south of Apalachicola and moving north-northeast at about 12 mph, according to the NHC’s 8 a.m. forecast. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

Despite what he called the “slightly positive trends,” Truchelut said Helene remains a “catastrophic threat.” The hurricane is expected to make landfall in Apalachee Bay tonight or early Friday morning.

Leon County opens eighth shelter at Rickards High School

Leon County opened its eighth shelter for people seeking refuge from Helene this morning at Rickards High School.

The shelters are run in cooperation with Leon County Schools. Here’s a full list with addresses:

Chiles High School, 7200 Lawton Chiles Lane
Lincoln High School, 3838 Trojan Trail
Godby High School, 1717 W. Tharpe St.
Leon High School, 550 E. Tennessee St.
SAIL High School, 2006 Jackson Bluff Road
Fort Braden School, 15100 Blountstown Highway
Fairview Middle School, 3415 Zillah St.
Rickards High School, 3013 Jim Lee Road

Tallahassee International Airport suspends operations indefinitely

Tallahassee International Airport announced that operations will be suspended starting today.

The airport said operations “will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.”

DeSantis talks hurricane prep on Fox & Friends

Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared on Fox & Friends Thursday morning to talk about Florida’s preparations for Hurricane Helene.

The governor warned that time is running out for those living in evacuation zones to leave.

“People just need to make decisions, keep themselves safe,” DeSantis said. “Soon as the storm passes, you’re going to see the response very quickly.”

He also emphasized the potential damages for Tallahassee, which has historically missed the brunt of major hurricanes.

“If it does hit Tallahassee, they have not had a major hurricane in Tallahassee in recent memory,” DeSantis said. “We’ve got a lot of beautiful trees here — the neighborhoods have them. But when you start having 125 mph winds, that could cause a lot of damage, a lot of debris as well.”

He gave another warning for those who live beneath trees: “You got a big oak fall on your roof, that is not going to be something that you’re going to want to be there for,” he said.

Jim Cantore, a harbinger for hurricane damage, in Tallahassee

The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore was in Tallahassee Thursday morning.

That’s something making city residents uneasy, as he’s known to visit areas before and as they get significantly damaged by hurricanes.

“It cannot be understated the threat (Hurricane Helene) poses across the southeastern United States just based on current intensity projections,” Cantore said in a social media post Wednesday.

The Tallahassee Democrat spotted Cantore doing live coverage outside the Old Florida Capitol on Wednesday evening. See the images below.

Hurricane Helene grows to Category 2 storm

Hurricane Helene is now a Category 2 with 100-mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. bulletin.

“ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING EXPECTED BEFORE LANDFALL IN FLORIDA… …PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION…”

“Weakening is expected after landfall,” NHC forecasters say, “but Helene’s fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.”

That scenario harkens back to Hurricane Michael, which punched into Georgia with Category 3 winds.

Dreams washed away: Horseshoe Beach residents pray for a miracle ahead of Helene

HORSESHOE BEACH — This beloved Gulf Coast fishing destination was a ghost town in the hours leading up to Hurricane Helene’s anticipated landfall.

Only a few residents remained Wednesday afternoon as they made final preparations for the storm before evacuating to more inland towns.

The town lost more than 50% of its homes to Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 hurricane that hit Aug. 30, 2023, causing major damage to the eastern Big Bend and Nature Coast. Now it faces the prospect of a 10- to 15-foot storm surge that could be even worse.

“It’s heartbreaking to come back and see your dreams you’ve always had get washed away in two hours,” resident John Hamelink said.

Read the full story here.

WeatherTiger’s video forecast outlines a harrowing night ahead

USA TODAY NETWORK meteorologist Ryan Truchelut of WeatherTiger broke down the impacts ahead of Hurricane Helene in a late Wednesday night video forecast.

He warned that Tallahassee could be blasted by 115 mph winds. He also noted that a record storm surge of 15 to 20 feet will occur during high tide, which will ratchet up the life-threatening risk potential for those coastal dwellers under hurricane and surge warnings.

“This is not a survivable situation,” he said. “You just have to get out.”

When the night is over, Truchelut said, “(Helene) will stand toe to toe with one of the biggest hurricane hits in Florida hurricane history, unfortunately.”

Florida becomes the evacuation state as residents wake-up to final decision

Residents are awaking Thursday morning and facing a final decision on whether to stay or go. Forecasters warn that dismissing evacuation orders could be a fatal decision, especially for those living on the coast where and “unsurvivable” 15- to 20-foot-storm surge may push in.

Here is a Wednesday evening updated list of Florida counties issuing evacuation orders:

Counties that have issued emergency mandatory evacuations for all their residents include Franklin, Taylor, Liberty and Wakulla counties in the Big Bend region. Those counties include more than 72,000 people. Counties that have issued voluntary evacuations for residents include: Baker, Gadsden, Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee and Union counties.
Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers, has issued mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying and flood prone areas, and for people living in manufactured homes or homes that don’t meet 1995 building codes.
Citrus County, north of Tampa, has issued mandatory evacuations for those living within evacuation zone A and any structures county-wide that are not able to withstand high speed winds. They previously issued mandatory evacuations for licensed skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities located in zone A.
Dixie County in the Big Bend region has issued mandatory evacuations for coastal communities Suwanee, Horseshoe Beach, Jena and surrounding areas. Officials also issued a mandatory evacuation for county recreational vehicles, those living in mobile and manufactured homes and those living in any low-lying areas.
Gulf County in the Panhandle has issued mandatory evacuations for all non-residents and recreational vehicles in Indian Pass, Cape San Blas and Simmons Bayou. Late Thursday, the county also ordered mandatory evacuations for the City of Port St Joe, including everyone from St Joseph Bay to North Garrison Avenue and everyone from the Bay to Garrison Avenue.

Hernando County, north of Tampa, has issued mandatory evacuations for all areas west of US-19, including evacuation zones A, B and C. They also issued mandatory evacuations for any residents living in low-lying areas or in manufactured homes.
Jefferson County, east of Tallahassee, has issued mandatory evacuations for all residents living in mobile homes, modular homes, RVs, flood-prone areas and homes not up to hurricane standards.
Lafayette County in the Big Bend region has issued mandatory evacuations for all residents living in mobile homes–including travel trailers–structurally compromised housing and low-lying areas. These mandatory evacuation orders will go into effect Thursday at 8 a.m.
Leon County, home to the state’s Capitol, has issued mandatory evacuations for all residents living in manufactured or mobile homes.
Levy County, southwest of Gainesville, has issued mandatory evacuations for all residents living in coastal communities, low-lying areas or in mobile and manufactured homes. Officials also ordered the evacuation of county recreational vehicles.
Hillsborough and Manatee counties, which includes Tampa and areas south of the city, have issued mandatory evacuations for all mobile homes and manufactured housing in evacuation Zone A.
Pasco County, just north of Tampa, has issued mandatory evacuations for anyone living in a manufactured home, mobile home or recreational vehicle as well as those in low-lying areas. The county also issued mandatory evacuations for anywhere local authorities order evacuations for, due to life-safety hazards.
Pinellas County, located on the coast of Tampa, has issued mandatory evacuations for all residents in zone A and those living in mobile homes. Previously, the county ordered evacuations for just hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Sarasota County, located on the coast just south of Tampa, has issued mandatory evacuations for level A manufactured home communities after declaring a local state of emergency Wednesday.

– Kairi Lowery, Fresh Take of Florida

Pondering what ‘catastrophic’ looks like on the Big Bend and Tallahassee

In National Hurricane Center forecasters’ 5 a.m. discussion of the storm, they mention the words “catastrophic” and “life-threatening” three times each as they discuss the various threats Helene is expected to bring as she approaches and crashes into the coast and pushes inland.

But what does “catastrophic” mean? The National Weather Service in their local hurricane statement expand in a detailed and sobering snapshot of the cataclysm to come.

“Damage to critical infrastructure, catastrophic damage to the trees and powerlines, widespread inaccessibility due to blocked roads, and damage to well-built structures will all be likely, particularly close to and east of the track. Power outages will likely last days, if not weeks.”
“Potential wind impacts in this area include: Structural damage to sturdy buildings, some with complete roof and wall failures. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Damage greatly accentuated by large airborne projectiles. Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Numerous large trees snapped or uprooted along with fences and roadway signs blown over. Many roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. Many bridges, causeways, and access routes impassable. Widespread power and communications outages.”

“There is a danger of catastrophic and unsurvivable storm surge for Apalachee Bay. This forecast, if realized, is a nightmare surge scenario for Apalachee Bay. Please, please, please take any evacuation orders seriously!”
“Widespread deep inundation, with storm surge flooding greatly accentuated by powerful battering waves. Structural damage to buildings, with many washing away. Damage greatly compounded from considerable floating debris. Locations may be uninhabitable for an extended period. Near-shore escape routes and secondary roads washed out or severely flooded. Extreme beach erosion. New shoreline cuts possible. Massive damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. Numerous small craft broken away from moorings with many lifted onshore and stranded.”
“Extreme rainfall flooding may prompt numerous evacuations and rescues. Rivers and tributaries may overwhelmingly overflow their banks in many places with deep moving water. Small streams, creeks, and ditches may become raging rivers. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed. Flood waters can enter numerous structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Numerous places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets and parking lots become rivers of raging water with underpasses submerged. Driving conditions become very dangerous. Numerous road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out.”