New York.- Tropical Storm Helene strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday after rapidly intensifying in the Caribbean Sea and moving along the Mexican coast on its way to the United States, prompting evacuations, school closures and emergency declarations in Florida and Georgia by authorities.
The storm was centered near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Monday, the National Hurricane Center said, and was expected to strengthen and grow as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rains were forecast for the southeastern United States beginning Wednesday, with a potentially deadly storm surge along the entire Florida coast, the agency said.
The storm is so powerful that rural areas about 90 miles (55 kilometers) north of the Georgia-Florida line are under a hurricane watch, and rainfall is possible as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana.
“You’re going to get heavy rainfall inland from the hurricane, and it will take some time for the storms to subside once they’re in the area,” said Brian McNoldy, an environmental researcher at the University of Miami.
Forecasters warned of possible tornadoes Wednesday night in western Florida and southern Alabama, and said the tornado risk will increase Thursday, expanding across Florida and into Georgia and South Carolina.
The center issued hurricane watches for parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the northwest coast of Florida, where storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) are expected.
Helene is expected to become a Category 3 or stronger hurricane on Thursday with winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph) when it is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the NHC said. The center issued hurricane warnings for parts of the Yucatan and Florida’s northwest coast, where storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) are expected.
Will Marx took shelter Wednesday in his double-wide mobile home 13 miles (21 kilometers) inland in Crawfordville, Florida. The 64-year-old retiree put more jugs of water in his refrigerator as he watched people moving boats and recreational vehicles out of the storm’s projected path.
“I think we’ll know tomorrow,” he said.
Mexico is still recovering from Hurricane John, which slammed into the southern Pacific coast on Monday night, killing two people and ripping tin roofs off homes, causing landslides and toppling dozens of trees, authorities said Tuesday.
John strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane within hours on Monday and made landfall 80 miles (128 kilometers) east of the resort city of Acapulco near Punta Maldonado with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph) before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved inland.
Helene, which formed Tuesday in the Caribbean, is expected to move over deep, warm waters, fueling its intensification. The hurricane was located about 500 miles (810 kilometers) southeast of Tampa, Florida, and was packing sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane and make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwest coast late Thursday.
Mara Lezama, governor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, shared photos of rain-soaked streets and videos of the normally placid turquoise waters off the island of Cozumel being lashed by angry waves crashing against the seawall. In Cancun, strong waves threatened to worsen the problem of beach erosion in the resort city.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the upper Florida Keys, the southern Florida peninsula and the northeast coast of the state, and by Wednesday morning had extended northward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. A tropical storm watch was also in effect for the coast of South Carolina north of the South Santee River and into Little River Inlet.
Hurricane warnings were also in effect for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, the NHC said.
Several counties on Florida’s west coast and northwest have issued evacuation orders. Many school districts plan to close schools or reduce instructional hours beginning Wednesday. Gas stations in the Tallahassee area began running out of fuel Monday, and water and other supplies ran out at grocery stores.
President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and federal authorities deployed power generators, water and food, along with search and rescue and electrical repair teams.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had already declared a state of emergency in most counties, said Wednesday that 12 health care facilities had been evacuated. He urged people to prepare immediately.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency in his state. The hurricane warning area includes Valdosta, a city of 55,000. Helene is coming just a year after Hurricane Idalia caused more than $6 million in damage to 1,000 homes and other property.
In western Cuba, authorities moved livestock to higher ground and seven medical brigades were sent to communities often cut off by storms. Helene was expected to bring heavy rains to the western part of the island, which is struggling with severe water shortages and chronic power outages.
The Cayman Islands were recovering after being battered by heavy rain and massive waves on Tuesday. Strong winds knocked out power in some areas, while heavy rain and waves up to 10 feet high caused flooding. Schools on the islands remained closed Wednesday as flood warnings remained in effect and residents pumped water out of their inundated homes.
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. Since 2000, eight Category 3 or stronger hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be above average due to record ocean temperatures.
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