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Hurricane Helene tracker: Timeline of when to expect storm surge, winds, rain

By FOX 13 News Staff
Updated  September 26, 2024 11:17pm EDT
Hurricane Helene
FOX 13 News

Hurricane Helene moves closer to Florida

FOX 13 meteorologists Jim Weber and Valerie Mills have the very latest on Hurricane Helene.

TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricane Helene is making its way up the coastline before its expected landfall in the Big Bend area Thursday night as a major hurricane. 

The Bay Area began feeling the impacts of the storm with some bands of wind and rain coming onshore on Thursday morning. Tornado warnings were also issued for some areas. 

Fox 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber says as the center of Helene becomes parallel with our west coast, we will see more bands coming through. He says the rain will pick up as will the winds. 

When will Helene impact Bay Area? 

Hurricane Helene became a Category 3 hurricane around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday with winds of 120 miles an hour and was moving north-northeast at 16 miles per hour. It intensified to a Category 4 Hurricane shortly before 6:30 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. It intensified rapidly with wind speeds reaching 140 miles per hour by 11 p.m. as it neared landfall in the Big Bend area. 

By noon on Thursday, parts of the Bay Area were experiencing tropical-storm-force wind gusts. 

Around 3 p.m., we can expect to have more tropical-storm-force winds onshore. Weber expects that activity to continue as Hurricane Helene moves north. 

Weber says tropical-storm-force gusts will still be felt in the Bay Area at 9 p.m. on Thursday. 

The winds will begin to subside in the overnight hours and into Friday morning. 

Weber adds that the tropical-storm-force wind diameter of the storm is about 345 miles.

When will Hurricane Helene make landfall? 

By 8 p.m. Helene will be a Category 3 storm that will make landfall Thursday night around 11 p.m. 

Weber stated that the big issue with Hurricane Helene would be the storm surge.

As Helene moves past the Bay Area, the storm's winds will turn south and southwest. That will be when the surge pushes along the coastline. 

Weber added that the shift in the winds coincides with high tide in the northern parts of the Bay Area, which will increase the storm surge.

Storm Surge Warning

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:

  • Mexico Beach eastward and southward to Flamingo
  • Tampa Bay
  • Charlotte Harbor

How high will the water go?

  • Carrabelle, FL to Suwannee River, FL - 15-20 ft.
  • Apalachicola, FL to Carrabelle, FL - 10-15 ft.
  • Suwannee River, FL to Chassahowitzka, FL - 10-15 ft.
  • Chassahowitzka, FL to Anclote River, FL - 8-12 ft.
  • Indian Pass, FL to Apalachicola, FL - 6-10 ft.
  • Anclote River, FL to Middle of Longboat Key, FL - 5-8 ft.
  • Tampa Bay - 5-8 ft.
  • Middle of Longboat Key, FL to Englewood, FL - 4-7 ft.
  • East of Mexico Beach, FL to Indian Pass, FL - 3-5 ft.
  • Englewood, FL to Flamingo, FL - 3-5 ft.
  • Charlotte Harbor - 3-5 ft.

Tide Times

Cedar Key

  • Low- 4:35 p.m.
  • High – 11:35 p.m.
  • Low 3:46 a.m.

Crystal River

  • High- 11:16 a.m.
  • Low – 7:38 p.m.
  • High – 4:02 a.m.

Clearwater

  • Low – 2:58 p.m.
  • High 11:12 p.m.
  • Low 2:16 a.m.

Tampa Bay

  • Low – 6:36 p.m.
  • High – 2:57 a.m.
  • Low – 5:30 a.m.

Sarasota

  • Low – 4:41 p.m.
  • High 12:20 a.m.
  • Low- 3:35 a.m.

Hurricane Warning

A hurricane warning is in effect for Anclote River to Mexico Beach. 

Hurricane Watch

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay.

Tropical Storm Warning

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

Hurricane Helene county-by-county impacts

Thursday-Friday

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties

  • 50-70 mph wind gusts
  • 5-8 ft. storm surge
  • 4–8 inches of rainfall
  • Tornado threat

Citrus and Hernando counties

  • 55 – 75 mph wind gusts
  • 6 – 15 ft. storm surge
  • 5 – 10 inches of rainfall

Polk and Highlands counties

  • 35- 50 mph wind gusts
  • 2 -4 inches of rainfall
  • Isolated tornadoes

Sarasota and Manatee counties

  • 45 – 60 mph wind gusts
  • 4 – 7 ft. storm surge
  • 4–8 inches of rainfall 

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