The History of Hurricane Helene

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FLORIDA, USA – Hurricane Helene formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday as a tropical storm, after bringing heavy rains and big waves to the Cayman Islands. Two Disney cruises made last-minute changes to their itineraries after storm activity from Hurricane Helene and civil unrest forced the ocean liners to remain at sea.

In Cuba, the government preemptively shut off power in some communities as waves as high as 16 feet slammed Cortes Bay. In the Cayman Islands, schools were closed, and residents pumped water from flooded homes.

Forecasters warned that the storm could strengthen into a major hurricane as it moved toward the southeastern United States. On Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden approved Florida’s state of emergency declaration.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Florida, urged people to take potential evacuations seriously, emphasizing that the anticipated “10-15 feet of surge is not survivable.”

As predicted, Hurricane Helene developed into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday. The storm then strengthened overnight Thursday into a Category 2 hurricane, and within 24 hours, it increased to a Category 3 storm as it began lashing Florida.

As of early this morning, hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended into south-central Georgia. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states.

Tropical Storm Helene also prompted NASA and SpaceX to delay today’s planned astronaut launch to at least Saturday.