(StraightShooterNews.com) – Hurricane Helene is moving towards Florida, bringing with it the threat of a storm surge that has been described as “unsurvivable.”
As it approached the Gulf of Mexico, Helene intensified into a Category 2 storm and is expected to hit as a major hurricane—Category 3 or higher—along Florida’s northwestern coast.
The storm’s impact is anticipated to stretch far, affecting not just Florida but also parts of Georgia and the southeastern U.S.
Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings are reaching south-central Georgia as well.
Governors from Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have declared states of emergency in response to the advancing storm.
Earlier today, coastal U.S. Highway 98, a route passing through several fishing communities and vacation spots in Florida’s Big Bend, saw the first signs of the storm.
The area braced itself: gas stations closed and windows were boarded up as the road cleared except for a few heading to safer grounds.
“Regardless of how strong it is, it is a very large storm. It’s going to have impacts that cover a large area,” noted National Hurricane Center senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven.
In Florida’s Apalachee Bay, experts forecast catastrophic surges of up to 20 feet, severe winds and heavy rains across the region.
Often called the Forgotten Coast, this area is known for its natural beauty like the vast salt marshes, tidal pools and one of the world’s largest freshwater springs at Wakulla.
Additionally, schools and universities along Florida’s Gulf Coast have shut down in anticipation of the storm.
Although it will likely weaken as it moves inland, Helene’s quick pace means it could carry strong, damaging winds far into the southeastern U.S., including the southern Appalachian Mountains.
The hurricane center has issued tropical storm warnings up to North Carolina and cautions that the region could see face power outages, fallen trees and major flooding.
Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach mentioned that Helene could be one of the broadest storms to hit this region in decades.
Klotzbach compared its size to infamous past hurricanes like Irma in 2017, Wilma in 2005 and Opal in 1995.
Even areas 100 miles north of the Georgia-Florida border are bracing for hurricane conditions.
This has prompted widespread school closures across Georgia and affected several universities.
According to University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd, Helene’s effects in Atlanta could represent the most severe impact on a major Southern inland city in over three decades.
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