Florida Braces for ‘Unsurvivable’ Storm Surge as Category 4 Hurricane Approaches Landfall

#Weather
Florida Braces for ‘Unsurvivable’ Storm Surge as Category 4 Hurricane Approaches Landfall

Loveworld / 12 mins

September 26, 2024

1 min read

Florida is preparing for a potentially “unsurvivable” storm surge as Hurricane Helene is forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall later today.
Just over a month after Storm Debby impacted the state, Hurricane Helene is poised to be the strongest storm to hit the U.S. in over a year. It is expected to make landfall near Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday. Currently a Category 1 storm with 90 mph winds, Helene could see sustained winds rise to 135 mph. Florida officials are warning residents to prepare for life-threatening rain, flooding, and storm surge.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, with several areas under hurricane warnings. The Big Bend region is expected to experience the most severe storm surge, with heights potentially reaching up to 20 feet.
On Wednesday, Florida Senator Rick Scott warned residents in the storm’s path. “In the Big Bend, they’re talking about possibly 18 feet of storm surge,” he 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.”