What to know about the Treasure Coast on Friday

After a windy Thursday full of squalls, tornado warnings, power outages and rough seas caused by Hurricane Helene, weather on the Treasure Coast will improve on Friday and throughout the weekend.

Rainfall amounts are expected to be around 1 inch on Friday, with a chance of 2 inches in coastal areas, said Jessie Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

“There is still some lingering moisture that will spread along the outskirts of the storm, so it’s not directly tied to Helene,” Schaper said, “but it will make the risk of rain higher for Friday and next weekend on the Treasure Coast. “

“Our winds will die down significantly,” she continued. “We’ll get back to about 10-15 mph winds, which is what we typically see every day.”

Okeechobee waterway locks will return to normal operations on September 28, 2024. According to Jeffrey Prater, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, normal operating hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office sent 13 deputies to Suwannee County to help with hurricane mitigation in Helene, according to its Facebook page. They bring food, tools and transportation to help residents. They will assist with emergency calls, search and rescue, and road clearing.

Suwannee County, which includes the towns of Live Oak, Branford and Wellborn, lies immediately east of Lafayette County, immediately east of Taylor County, where Helene made landfall Thursday evening as a Category 4 hurricane.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Team is on its way to Lafayette County, east of Taylor County, according to its Facebook page.

The sun began to shine again as the winds died down Friday morning on the Treasure Coast after a rainy and windy Friday with Helene in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River.

The National Meteorological Service in Melbourne has released data on sustained winds and maximum wind gusts recorded at airports across the area: Vero Beach Regional Airport, Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce and Witham Field in Stuart.

Vero Beach: Maintained speed 41 mph; Maximum 59 mph at 9:47 a.m. Thursday
Fort Pierce: Maintained speed of 35 miles per hour; Maximum 48 mph at 9:34 a.m. Thursday
Stuart: Maintained speed 25 mph; Maximum 51 mph at 5:22 p.m. Thursday (Jensen Beach)

According to the NWS, a rainfall total report will not be available for several days. An estimated 1 to 2 inches of rain fell on the Treasure Coast. Fort Pierce recorded 1.9 inches of rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, one of the highest rainfall totals in the area.

According to the NWS, a wind advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. Friday. Residents can expect windy weather until the advisory expires.

The heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Heat index values will range from 108 to 110. Residents should use caution when cleaning up outdoor storm debris.

The small craft advisory remains in effect until 11:00. Winds from the south will be 20-30 knots and seas will be 6-9 feet.

Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday evening as a Category 4 storm, but has since been downgraded to Tropical Storm Helene. According to the National Weather Service, it was located over east-central Georgia around 6 a.m. Friday.

All tropical storm warnings have been withdrawn for the Treasure Coast and all of east-central Florida. The area is no longer under a tornado or flood watch.

Hurricane Helene: Scenes from across the Treasure Coast on Thursday

In the Treasure Coast region throughout Thursday in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River experienced indirect effects from Hurricane Helene.

Tropical storm force wind gusts are possible in east-central Florida, including the Treasure Coast.

Tropical Storm Warning: It was in effect throughout the Treasure Coast until 5:12 a.m. Friday
Extinct: The tornado watch from Daytona Beach to Hobe Sound expired Thursday at 8 p.m

There is a high risk of rip currents on Friday and throughout the weekend, and sea conditions are hazardous.

Rainfall on the Treasure Coast on Thursday was much less than expected.

Rain begins over the Indian River Lagoon ahead of Hurricane Helene

Rain first began around 3:45 PM on September 26, 2024 over the Indian River Lagoon at Jensen Beach. Within 3 minutes it became difficult to see South Hutchinson Island.

There were power outages on Thursday. At around 10 p.m., 950 customers were still without power.

Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph were reported in some areas of the Treasure Coast as of 6 p.m. Thursday, with sustained average wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph across the area. The Treasure Coast experienced its highest wind gust speeds across eastern Central Florida at noon Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Vero Beach: 59 miles per hour
Fort Pierce: 70 mph (Treasure Coast International Airport)
Jupiter: 45 mph (Martin County)
Cape Canaveral: 43 miles per hour (Space Force Station)
Daytona Beach: 71 mph (Daytona Beach International Airport)
Okahumpka: 41 mph (Lake County)
Kissimme: 39 miles per hour
Melbourne: 38 mph (Melbourne-Orlando International Airport)
Orlando: 60 mph (Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport)

District officials announced that schools in Martin, Indian River and St. counties. The Lucies are scheduled to resume classes on Friday. In a news release, officials said Indian River State College, which also canceled Thursday classes, was scheduled to reopen on Friday.

Here are the county-operated facilities that will be closed on Thursday

In Stuart, winds from Hurricane Helene knocked down a tree Thursday morning, which then fell onto a mobile home on southeast Cortez Street. The roof collapsed, fortunately no one was seriously injured.

Six people live in the house, but only three were home at the time of the incident. One child in the home was briefly trapped in a bedroom because a tree was blocking the exit. One person was scratched on the arm while leaving the house, and the other was hit on the head with a branch.

Part of a tree falls on a house in Stuart as Hurricane Helene rages off the west coast of Florida

On September 26, 2024, in Stuart, winds pushed part of a tree onto a home at 400 Southeast Cortez Street as Hurricane Helene raged off Florida’s west coast, creating a low risk of severe weather on the Treasure Coast.

Here’s what’s open and closed on the Treasure Coast

Breeze Airways adds Vero Beach to list of monitored airports

Airlines are starting to cancel flights and offer to rebook

The Army Corps of Engineers did not release water from Lake Okeechobee or the C-44/STA Reservoir into the St. River. Lucie before Hurricane Helene, a spokesperson told TCPalm on Wednesday.

Rainfall from previous storms that flooded homes and farms in western Martin County is flowing through the St. Martin Lock and Dam. Lucie averaged a daily rate of almost 331 million gallons, “which is normal for this time of year,” she said.

Tallahassee authorities warn of potential destruction from Hurricane Helene

Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey said the city must plan for a “direct hit” in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

(This story will be updated with more information, photos and videos.)

TCPalm reporters Corey Arwood, Laurie K. Blandford, Keith Burbank, Olivia Franklin, Will Greenlee, Melissa E. Holsman, Jack Lemnus, Gianna Montesano, Wicker Perlis, Nick Slater, Colleen Wixon, and visual journalists Eric Hasert, Kaila Jones and Crystal Vander Weit contributed contribution to this report.