For the latest updates on Hurricane Helene, follow AJC’s live coverage and hour-by-hour forecasts.
Hurricane Helene is churning in the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a Category 4 storm and will make landfall in Florida within the next few hours, with South Georgia and even metro Atlanta feeling the impact.
The storm is expected to reach land in the Florida Big Bend region as a hurricane with winds reaching 130 mph, the National Hurricane Center projects. Overnight Thursday, the storm is expected to reach South Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane, and metro Atlanta will see tropical storm conditions, the National Weather Service said.
Forecast path for Helene
As of Thursday evening, the storm was moving at just over 20 mph. It upgraded to a Category 4 storm around 6:20 p.m. and winds are topping 130 mph. Tropical storm conditions are affecting much of Florida’s west coast as locals brace for impact, the NHC predicts.
There is a risk of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend area.
“A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” the NHC said.
After Helene moves inland, a turn to the north over Georgia is expected late Thursday into early Friday. Damaging wind gusts are anticipated to extend well inland across parts of Georgia and the Carolinas overnight.
Potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding is expected across the Southeast, including the Southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley, through Friday, the NHC warns. Widespread river flooding throughout the region is also expected, and some gusts could reach up to 80 mph in North Georgia on Friday morning.
Stay up to date with the NHC here.
