Most Florida ports were closed Thursday ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in the Big Bend region, threatening what meteorologists called a deadly Category 3 storm that they expect to grow stronger before making landfall.
The hurricane, forecast to hit Florida Thursday night or early Friday, will likely strengthen as it approaches the United States, the National Hurricane Center said. Helene is expected to be “a catastrophic and deadly storm,” forecasters predict. Models show the storm could strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane.
“The main message is that Helene will likely make landfall as a large major hurricane in the Florida Big Bend this evening, and all preparations in the hurricane warning area should be rushed to completion,” the hurricane center said.
Port Tampa Bay closed shipping lanes and vessel traffic Wednesday night. The port activated its Port Heavy Weather Advisory Group to monitor the storm. Helene is also expected to impact the port’s cruise schedule.
“Port Tampa Bay is doing all it can to prepare for Hurricane Helene, and to ensure safety of life, protection of the environment, and maritime commerce resiliency,” the port said in an announcement.
Other ports closed Thursday included Canaveral, Fernandina, Jacksonville, Key West, Fort Myers, Manatee, Sarasota, Panama City and St. Petersburg in Florida. Ports open with restrictions Thursday included Mobile in Alabama, Pensacola in Florida, and Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia.
Helene is one of the largest hurricanes coming out of the Gulf of Mexico in decades, the hurricane center said.
A 20-foot storm surge is possible along the Big Bend, the hurricane center said. Life-threatening wind gusts will hit northern Florida and southern Georgia after Helene makes landfall. It is expected to stall over the Tennessee Valley. Strong winds are likely across northern Georgia and the Carolinas.
“Catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding and numerous landslides are expected through Friday across southern Appalachia, forecasters said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ pre-landfall disaster declaration request. DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s counties.
More than a dozen counties were under mandatory evacuation orders.
The Florida Department of Transportation waived some requirements for truck drivers hauling emergency supplies.
Tampa International Airport suspended flights Thursday. Flights across Florida were delayed or canceled Thursday, according to FlightAware. The flight tracker reported that almost 2,900 flights were delayed across the country and almost 1,200 were canceled.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict that Helene will strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall near Apalachicola, a city of about 2,300 people.
Everstream Analytics, a supply chain risk analytics company, predicted that Southeastern agriculture could be impacted by Helene, with the cotton crop being particularly vulnerable. The storm is on track to hit above the citrus belt and should not have a major effect on the crop, the company said.