With a potential hurricane bearing down on Florida, the storm is forecast to strengthen in the Gulf with impacts beginning in Central Florida overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
The possibility of a major hurricane bearing down on Florida in the coming days has significantly increased.
The National Weather Service is warning that it's looking increasingly likely that if Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine strengthens into Hurricane Helene, it's going to be primarily a Florida impact and potentially a significant one at that.
The NHC is now predicting that Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is expected to intensify to near-hurricane strength when it reaches the far northwestern Caribbean Sea on Wednesday, and will likely intensify into a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) as it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday.
The NHC is warning Floridians to take the potential for severe weather seriously, commenting, "The potential for life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast is increasing,"
Residents are being urged to have their hurricane plan in place, and also follow advice given by local officials.
Ahead of possible severe weather, the National Weather Service (NWS) has began to issue watches and warning across the state.
Here in Central Florida a Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for Orange, Seminole, Lake, & Osceola Counties, which includes Greater Orlando, and all the major tourism areas including Walt Dinsey World and Universal Orlando Resort.
Impacts across Central Florida in the next 48 hours could include tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain, and possible tornadoes.
On the west coast, a hurricane watch and storm surge watch is in effect for along the Gulf Coast from Sarasota County to the Florida Panhandle, including Tampa. That means hurricane force winds are possible within 48 hours.
A storm surge watch is also in effect along much of the Florida coast, along with a tropical storm watch for parts of southwest and northwest Florida, beyond the hurricane watch area.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the watches early Tuesday morning, September 24, 2024.
As we reported earlier, last night, Monday, September 23, Florida Gov. DeSantis is urging Floridians to prepare for the storm, declaring a state of emergency for 41 of the states 67 counties.
DeSantis commented, “We will continue to monitor the storm’s path and keep Floridians updated,” he said. “Now is the time to make an emergency plan, know your evacuation zone, and be as prepared as possible for the storm.”
The state of emergency is in effect for the following counties:
Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.
As the storm progresses we will keep you updated with the latest information.
Gotta Go Orlando offers the latest entertainment news, together with all the latest events and things to do throughout Central Florida. We feature concerts, theater, culture, nightlife, food & drink. theme parks, attractions, festivals, events, and more.
With news and information being released on a daily basis, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with all the latest exciting news from our local community. You can also join the local conversation on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Contact Us
Got a story to tell Orlando? Contact us now. To advertise with us, click here, and to list your upcoming event with us, submit it here.
Comments