Florida is bracing for the arrival of Helene on its shores. A major hurricane, the most powerful of the year, Helene is rapidly intensifying and is expected to hit the west coast of the state on Thursday evening, September 26. On the Gulf of Mexico side, almost the entire coastline is under evacuation orders.
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This is the fourth time in two years that a hurricane has hit Florida. However, Helene is likely to be the most powerful, our correspondent in Florida says, David Thomson.
By the time it makes landfall on Thursday evening, September 26, this major hurricane is expected to be classified as a Category 3 minimum on a scale of 5. With winds already reaching 130 km/h, Hélène is currently strengthening in the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Catastrophic, deadly storm expected to hit Big Bend Coast “, in North Florida, ” where floods could reach up to six metres above ground level with destructive waves “, adds the American Hurricane Center, which specifies that the interior should not be spared.
Devastating floods
Thousands of residents have already evacuated along the Florida coast, fleeing the winds, torrential rains and, above all, the rising sea level, which could reach several meters in places.
With every hurricane, these devastating floods, close to a mini-tsunami phenomenon, are the leading cause of death. And the warning is not just for the coast. Helene could cause widespread flooding even inland in other states. A rare elevated risk of level 4 out of 4 includes an area spanning Alabama, the Carolinas and even the megacity of Atlanta, Georgia.
HAS Cubathe passage of Helen has already caused torrential rains and up to 100mm of precipitation in some communities, while gusts reached up to nearly 90 km/h. The small village of Guanimar, in the west of the island, was submerged by a meter of water and the inhabitants had no choice but to put their clothes and other possessions to dry on their roofs, while others put on their fishing boots to distribute food aid.
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