Tropical Weather Latest: Swaths of Mexico and Florida under hurricane warnings as Helene strengthens

Tropical Storm Helene was rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S., prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The storm is forecast to be “near hurricane strength” when it passes near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and to “intensify and grow in size” as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, with a “life-threatening storm surge” along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the center.

The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida’s northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.

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Here’s the latest:

Empty supermarket shelves and gas stations running out of fuel

With Tropical Storm Helene moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S., gas stations in the Tallahassee area were already starting to run out of gas on Monday, and supermarket shelves were being emptied of water and other supplies. Florida State and Florida A&M universities were shut down ahead of the storm and government offices were closing as of Wednesday afternoon.

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About 80 percent of the region was without power after Hurricane Hermine in 2016, a Category 1 storm, and it took more than a week to restore electricity for many customers.

Known for its large oak trees and canopy roads, Tallahassee is still recovering from tornadoes that slammed through the heart of the city in May, damaging homes and businesses and destroying scores of trees. The storms caused extensive damage in the city’s beloved Railroad Square district of art studios and offbeat shops.

Hunkering down in Florida

CRAWFORD, Fla. — Will Marx stopped at the hardware store before hunkering down Wednesday in his double-wide trailer 13 miles (20.92 kilometers) inland in Crawfordville, Florida. He said people were stocking up on gas and tarps.

Marx, a 64-year-old retiree, figured he was as ready as he could be. He had extra water and a charged phone, and moved his vehicle away from trees that might fall in high winds.

“We will know tomorrow I guess,” he said.

He said he lived in New England before moving to Florida.

“If you don’t like snow, I guess it ain’t a good place to live and you have to be prepared for it. It is just a different mindset down here — you have to be prepared. But I guess it’s like anywhere in this country, whether it be twisters or earthquakes. You know, you don’t get it totally without some risk.”

‘This is going to be a large and strong storm,’ researcher says

ORLANDO, Fla. — Because Helene is such a fast-moving storm, it won’t dump as much rain on Florida as past hurricanes have done, but its winds may impact places as far inland as northern Georgia, Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, said Wednesday.

“You are going to see destructive winds not only in Tallahassee but in Atlanta,” McNoldy said. “You are going to have a major hurricane plowing inland, and storms take a little time to decay once they’re inland.”

The models are showing a big wind field, which is why 64 out of 67 counties are under either an emergency order, a watch or warning, he said.

“That this is going to be a large and strong storm,” McNoldy said. ”It is going to be moving very quickly.”

Cattle moved to higher ground in Cuba

HAVANA — In western Cuba, authorities moved cattle to higher ground and took measures to protect tobacco leaves as fishermen pulled boats to dry land. Seven medical brigades were dispatched to communities usually cut off by storms.

Tropical Storm Helene was expected to dump heavy rain on the western part of an island already struggling with severe water shortages and chronic power outages.

Helene is pelting Mexico’s Caribbean coast resorts with rain and strong winds

Tropical Storm Helene was pelting Mexico’s Caribbean coast resorts from Cozumel to Cancun with rain, high waves and strong winds early Wednesday.

Mara Lezama, the governor of the coastal state of Quintana Roo, shared photos of downed trees and rain-swept streets, and videos of the normally placid, turquoise waters off the island of Cozumel being whipped into angry waves that broke over the seawall of the coastal boulevard.

In Cancun, heavy waves threatened to worsen the resort’s ongoing problem with beach erosion.

Helene’s hurricane-force winds could spread damage to inland Georgia, forecasters say

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Forecasters warned that Tropical Storm Helene’s hurricane-force winds could spread damage far inland as the storm races northward from the Gulf Coast. Fifteen counties in southern Georgia were under a hurricane warning Wednesday, including some rural areas roughly 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of the Georgia-Florida line.

The hurricane warning area for Georgia included Valdosta, a city of 55,000 along Interstate 75. Helene approached barely a year after Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County took a beating from Hurricane Idalia, which damaged more than 1,000 homes and inflicted more than $6 million in damage.

Forecasters have predicted an above-average hurricane season

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms before the season ends Nov. 30, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

Biden has declared a state of emergency in Florida

President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and deployed Federal Emergency Management Agency teams to Florida and Alabama to support local first responders. Federal authorities were positioning generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue and power restoration teams, the White House said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also issued an emergency for most of the state’s counties, while Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared an emergency in his state as well.

Tornadoes could be possible in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina

Forecasters warned of the possibility of tornadoes Wednesday night over parts of the western Florida peninsula and southern Alabama and said the tornado risk would increase Thursday, expanding across Florida and into parts of Georgia and South Carolina.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia

The National Weather Service says tropical storm warnings are in effect for:

— The upper Florida Keys

— The southern Florida Peninsula

— The northeast coast of Florida

— Altamaha Sound, Georgia

Hurricane watches, which are a step down from warnings, are also in effect for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including the Tampa Bay area.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the South Carolina coast north of the Savannah River to the South Santee River.

Where is Helene now?

An 8 a.m. ET forecast from the National Weather Service showed Helene was located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west-southwest of the western tip of Cuba as it moved northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph).

Tropical Storm Helene strengthens as hurricane

Tropical Storm Helene is rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S., prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The storm is forecast to be “near hurricane strength” when it passes near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and to “intensify and grow in size” as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, with a “life-threatening storm surge” along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the center.

Helene is expected to become a major hurricane — a Category 3 or higher — on Thursday, the day it’s set to reach Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to the hurricane center. The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida’s northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.

National Hurricane Center issues hurricane warnings for parts of Florida and Mexico

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane warnings for northwestern Florida’s coastline and part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as Tropical Storm Helene approaches the area.

Helene is expected to strengthen into a hurricane Wednesday and could become a major hurricane Thursday.

Areas of western Cuba and Florida, including Tampa Bay, were under hurricane watches Tuesday evening. A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Cuba and Florida’s southwestern coastline, including the Florida Keys.

A storm surge warning was in effect for Florida’s Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and from Indian Pass south to Flamingo. Florida and Georgia’s eastern coasts, from Palm Beach to the Savannah River, were under a tropical storm watch.