Hurricane “Helene”: Strong Winds and Powerful Storms Headed Towards Florida
The U.S. state of Florida braced on Thursday for the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which is expected to reach Category 4 strength when it strikes the Panhandle region of the state.
Officials issued stern warnings, urging residents in coastal areas along the hurricane’s path to evacuate their homes before the catastrophic winds and destructive storm hit, with the potential for water levels to rise up to 6.1 meters in some areas, according to Reuters.
Jared Miller, Mayor of Wakulla County, where Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall, said: “For those living in coastal or low-lying areas, please heed evacuation orders because time is running out and this is not a survivable situation.”
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Hurricane Helene crossed the Gulf of Mexico, gaining strength from the warm ocean waters. It is expected to make landfall in northwest Florida on Thursday evening, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of 251 kilometers per hour, according to meteorologists.
Jamie Rhome, Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center, stated that the storm surge could reach between 4.6 and 6.1 meters in the Big Bend region of the state, and that the hurricane would soon reach the shore.
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On September 11, the National Hurricane Center announced that “Francine,” a Category 2 hurricane, had made landfall in Louisiana, a state located on the southeastern coast of the United States.
The center stated in a bulletin issued at 22:00 GMT that “heavy rains and hurricane-force winds are spreading across southern Louisiana.”
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The center estimated that “the wind speed accompanying Hurricane Francine reached 155 km/h, making it a Category 2 hurricane on a scale ascending to 5 levels.”
In a related context, more than 140 people have died due to heavy rains caused by Hurricane Yagi, particularly in northern Vietnam, which experienced massive floods, while neighboring countries reported their first casualties.
A landslide killed 22 people, and 73 others were reported missing in a village in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, according to official Vietnamese media on September 11.
More than two days after Hurricane Yagi passed, Vietnam continues to battle the aftermath of the tropical storm that hit the northern part of the country on Saturday and Sunday, bringing heavy rains and storms with winds exceeding 150 kilometers per hour.
