A strengthening Helene in the Gulf of Mexico is the latest tropical terror to grip Florida.
The expected Category 3 hurricane closing in on Florida’s Big Bend has already prompted three coastal counties – Franklin, Wakulla and Taylor – to order all residents to evacuate in the face of a projected and “not survivable” 15-foot storm surge. Helene could also become Tallahassee’s worst wind event in recorded history as 100 mph winds meet “Tree City USA.”
Ryan Truchelut, founder of WeatherTiger and a hurricane forecaster for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, said Helene, which became a hurricane Wednesday morning, is a storm without precedent.
“Helene stands toe-to-toe with any of the threats that Florida has faced over the past ten years or indeed really over hurricane history.”
Here’s the latest from the path of the storm.
Florida State University advises students to consider evacuating
FSU Alert, the Florida State University emergency warning system, is recommending that “individuals should strongly consider making plans to leave the Tallahassee area TODAY before weather conditions deteriorate and be prepared to be away from campus for an extended period of time.”