Hurricane Helene has intensified into a Category 2 storm, with the National Hurricane Center warning of "significant additional strengthening" expected before it makes landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast late Thursday night.
In its 8 a.m. ET advisory, the NHC stressed that residents in Florida should "hurry to complete preparations to protect life and property" in anticipation of the storm's arrival.
As of Thursday morning, Helene was situated about 320 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving north-northeast at approximately 12 mph. This trajectory is expected to persist, with a "significant increase in forward speed" anticipated over the next 24 hours.The storm's maximum sustained winds have risen to nearly 100 mph, accompanied by higher gusts. With further strengthening expected, Helene is projected to become a major hurricane upon reaching Florida's Big Bend coast.
Helene is forecasted to traverse the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, making landfall along the Florida Big Bend coast later that evening or early Friday morning. The NHC predicts 8-12 inches of rainfall in areas where Helene makes landfall, with some isolated regions potentially receiving up to 2 feet of rain, as reported by AccuWeather.
Following landfall, the storm is likely to shift northwest and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday.
"While weakening is anticipated after landfall, Helene's rapid forward speed will enable strong, damaging winds, particularly in gusts, to extend well inland across the southeastern United States, including the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians," the advisory stated.
Helene's projected path includes urban areas such as Tallahassee, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and Asheville, North Carolina, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
