Climate Impact Report – 9/25
September 25, 2024
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Key Facts Of The Day 9/25
Tropical Storm Helene
- As of Wednesday morning, Tropical Storm Helene rapidly intensified, just 4 mph shy of becoming a hurricane.
- As of Wednesday morning, Helene was located about 60 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and 100 miles southwest of the western tip of Cuba. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was moving northwest at 9 mph.
- As Helene moves toward a Florida landfall, it is set to be the strongest hurricane to hit the US in over a year.
- The storm is expected to still be a hurricane when it moves into south Georgia early Friday.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded an emergency declaration from 41 to 61 of the state’s 67 counties.
- Thousands of Florida residents have already been forced to evacuate coastal areas.
- Nearly the entire state of Florida is under tropical alerts as Helene threatens to unload flooding rainfall, damaging winds, and life-threatening storm surge.
- The coast stretching from the Ochlockonee River to Chassahowitzka could see a surge between 10 and 15 feet. Nearby areas could see between 5 and 10 feet of surge, and the Tampa Bay area is forecast to experience between 5 and 8 feet of storm surge.
- A flood watch has been issued for more than 20 million people from Florida through the southern Appalachians, with tornadoes a risk through Friday across the region.
- At least 3,000 members of the Florida National Guard are ready to assist with storm efforts, and the Florida State Guard has been activated.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency due to the storm’s expected impacts later this week.
- Torrential rain, strong winds capable of causing significant power outages and the threat of tornadoes will stretch into the Southeast region.
- Considerable and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding is expected across portions of the Southeast, the southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley beginning Wednesday through Friday, including the risk of landslides across the southern Appalachians.