By Rich McKay and Brendan O’Brien
(Reuters) – Tropical Storm Helene promised to become a hurricane on Wednesday as it rapidly intensified in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, threatening to bring life-threatening storm surge to Florida within the next two days.
More than 40 million people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama were under hurricane and tropical storm warnings as the Helene barreled northwest, near the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the National Weather Service said on Wednesday.
Numerous evacuations are being ordered alone Florida’s Gulf coast, including Sarasota and Charlotte counties, and dozens of counties have announced school closures, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Pinellas County officials ordered evacuations of long-term healthcare facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals near the coast. The county sits on a peninsula surrounded by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
“Now, you still have time to prepare, review your hurricane plan, and make sure that you are executing your hurricane preparedness plan,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Tuesday press briefing.
Helene was packing wind speeds of 70 mph (160 kph), just shy of hurricane force. Helene was predicted to become a hurricane later on Wednesday as it travels over the warm Gulf waters, the center said.
“The storm is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and become a major hurricane on Thursday,” the center said.
It was estimated to become a Category 3 storm before it makes landfall on Florida’s Big Bend region south of Tallahassee on Thursday, forecasters said.
A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and is capable of causing devastating or even catastrophic damage.
The storm was expected to produce life threatening 15-foot (4.6 m) storm surge. It was also expected to dump up to 15 inches (38.1 cm) of rain in some isolated spots in the region, causing considerable flash and urban flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
Residents in the potential path are being told to prepare to be without power for up to a week, Florida emergency officials said in a briefing.
