This page has been archived and will no longer be updated. Click here for the latest updates on Helene.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.
At 11 p.m., the NHC reported that Helene had maximum sustained winds of 140 and was located 65 miles west of Cedar Key while moving north-northeast at 24 mph.
It made landfall at the mouth of the Aucilla River at 11:20 p.m.
Video above: Watch live News Channel 8 coverage of Hurricane Helene
The storm is expected to bring “unsurvivable” storm surge of up to 20 feet to the Big Bend area, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, which called it a “nightmare surge scenario.”
Max Defender 8 Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said residents in the Nature Coast and Big Bend should not take any chances and need to evacuate.
“You cannot survive 20 feet or even 15 feet of storm surge,” Berardelli said. “If you’re near the water and you know you’re going to flood, especially if you’re in a mobile home, too. You’ve got to go. You cannot take your chances. This is not survivable.”
Weakening is expected after Hurricane Helene makes landfall, but fast forward speed allows strong, damaging winds in gusts.
The next track update is at 11 p.m.
Watches and warnings
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
- Mexico Beach eastward and southward to Flamingo
- Tampa Bay
- Charlotte Harbor
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
- Anclote River to Mexico Beach
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
- Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
- Florida Keys, including the Dry Tortugas
- Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
- West of Mexico Beach to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line
- Flamingo northward to Little River Inlet
- Lake Okeechobee
- Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth
Tropical Storm Isaac
The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the open subtropical Atlantic on Wednesday night.
The system is well east-northeast of Bermuda and will not impact North America.
Watch Tracking the Tropics on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.
Be prepared with the 2024 Hurricane Guide and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter.