Hurricane Watch issued for Florida Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Helene expected to strengthen

TAMPA, FL — A tropical storm will probably develop by Tuesday in the Western Caribbean, then it will likely strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday. As of early Tuesday, a Hurricane Watch has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood northward and westward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay. A Flood Watch has been issued for our area from Wednesday evening through Friday morning. 3 to 6 inches of rain, potentially higher amounts depending on the future track. Several Central Florida counties are also under a Tropical Storm Watch ahead of the expected major hurricane developing this week.

Those counties include Sumter, Lake, Orange, Seminole, and Osceola. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is expected to be Tropical Storm Helene today in the NW Caribbean then strengthen into a hurricane and be a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico by Thursday. An area of high pressure is expected to move east while a trough drops into the central U. S. This steering pattern will cause “Helene” to move N-NNE over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

In terms of intensity, this storm is expected to become a major category 3 hurricane. While it’s too soon to pinpoint an exact landfall location, there is a threat of a significant storm surge and damaging winds for our area. The closer the eye is to our coast, the worse the impacts will be. Even if the storm stays far off to the west, we expect to get heavy rain, strong wind squalls, possible tornadoes, and the threat of storm surge. Power outages are likely.

With such a range of possible landfall locations, this could lead to a number of different outcomes for the area.