Hurricane Helene Forecast to Hit Status of Category 4 Storm

The situation is becoming more dire for Floridians in the Big Bend region. Hurricane Helene is now expected to roar onshore as a monster Category 4 storm. Here is the latest on the storm expected to make landfall in a matter of hours.

Latest Update on Hurricane Helene

As of the Thursday morning update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Helene was a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105 mph. This puts its just a few notches below the designation of a Category 3 storm, meaning it will likely reach this category at the next update.

The latest forecast models indicate that the storm will continue to gain strength at a fast clip, undergoing the process of rapid intensification.

Helene is expected to reach the status of a Category 4 storm as defined by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This means that it will pack maximum sustained winds ranging between 130 and 156 mph. It is not certain if Helene will retain this power as it makes its landfall late Thursday. Anticipated time of landfall is between 9 pm and 11 pm EDT.