As Tropical Storm Helene Gains Strength, Floridians Begin Evacuating

By Heather Hollingsworth and Danica Coto, The Associated Press

Tropical Storm Helene formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday and could strengthen into a powerful hurricane as it moves north toward the United States, forecasters said. Heavy rains and large waves have already battered the Cayman Islands, and some Floridians have begun evacuating or filling sandbags ahead of predicted flooding.

Helene was expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Wednesday and could become a major hurricane before making landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast late Thursday evening. The storm was 145 miles (235 kilometers) south of the western tip of Cuba, had sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), and was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

As the storm approached the Gulf Coast, hurricane warnings were issued for the northwestern coast of Florida and parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and hurricane warnings were in effect for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including Tampa Bay, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Parts of the southwest coast of Cuba and Florida, including the Florida Keys, were under tropical storm warnings. Nearly the entire west coast of Florida was under a storm warning.

In the U.S., federal authorities are deploying generators, food and water, as well as search and rescue and power restoration teams, as President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for most of the state’s counties, 10 of which have called for or ordered evacuations.

The storm is expected to move over deep, warm waters, which will increase its intensity. People in areas under the watch and warning should be prepared for power outages and should have enough food and water for at least three days, forecasters warned.

The tropical storm prompted NASA and SpaceX to push back Thursday’s planned astronaut launch until at least Saturday. And Florida A&M University postponed its upcoming college football game against Alabama A&M.

The storm is expected to be unusually large and fast-moving, meaning storm surge, winds and rain are likely to spread far from the center of the storm, the hurricane center said. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency. And states as far inland as Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana could see rain.

“This is going to be a very large system that will impact all of Florida,” said Larry Kelly, a specialist at the center. “Stay up to date with the latest forecasts and listen to your local officials.”

Hal Summers, a restaurant worker in Mexico Beach, Florida, didn’t need a reminder after he miraculously survived Hurricane Michael in 2018. DeSantis said Helene was like a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught residents by surprise before causing devastating damage across the Florida panhandle.

When it hit, Summers was wading with a cat in his arms as the water in his parents’ home began to rise rapidly. Their home and his home were destroyed.

“It was so traumatic, I didn’t need a place like this,” he said Tuesday, as he evacuated with a friend to Marianna, a town farther inland.

If Tropical Storm Helene follows the same path as the last two hurricanes, Florida could recover more quickly, state Finance Director Jimmy Patronis said Tuesday. Hurricane Idalia, which hit Florida in August 2023, and Hurricane Debby, which made landfall last August, destroyed vulnerable structures and trees that could have caused damage, he said.

Helene, the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season that began June 1, could strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane — with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph) — before it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast. Since 2000, eight major hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University.

The sun was shining in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on Tuesday, but residents were already filling sandbags in preparation for potential flooding.

Authorities in the Cayman Islands closed schools, airports and government offices as strong winds knocked out power in parts of Grand Cayman, while heavy rains and 10-foot (3-meter) waves triggered flooding. Authorities urged people to stay indoors as the storm subsided later Tuesday and said crews would soon disperse to assess the damage.

Many Cuban residents are worried about the storm, which is likely to reach the capital of Havana, which is grappling with a severe water shortage, piles of uncollected garbage and ongoing power outages.

Helene was expected to slip between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday morning and dump as much as a foot (30 centimeters) of rain on the area before heading north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was also forecast for the southeastern United States starting Wednesday, threatening flash flooding and river flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A large area of ​​the northwestern Florida coast was expected to experience severe storm surges of up to 15 feet (5 meters) high.

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

In the Pacific, Hurricane John killed two people as it slammed into Mexico’s southern coast, authorities said Tuesday, ripping off tin roofs from homes, triggering mudslides and downing dozens of trees.

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Hollingsworth from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press journalists Andrea Rodríguez in Havana, Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.