Reviewed by: Liv George
Helene officially a hurricane: What you need to know
Reading time: 2 minutes
It may finally be fall but we are still in the official hurricane season and this week brings another reason to keep an eye on the weather.
Tropical Storm Helene was officially introduced Tuesday morning and the storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes landfall in Florida sometime Thursday. The good news for us: Alabama coast is expected be on the west, slightly drier side of the storm.
Keep reading to find out more about the storm’s forecasted path + how it could bring impactful rain and winds statewide.
Alabama rain
While our coast may not get a direct hit from this storm, there is plenty of rain expected to come through the state Thursday and Friday. Here’s a quick outlook on this week’s rain chances for some of our bigger cities:
- Auburn: Wednesday – 96% | Thursday – 100% | Friday – 60%
- Birmingham: Wednesday – 80% | Thursday – 70% | Friday – 62%
- Dothan: Wednesday – 54% | Thursday – 98% | Friday – 24%
- Huntsville: Wednesday – 73% | Thursday – 73% | Friday – 89%
- Mobile: Wednesday – 38% | Thursday – 24% | Friday – 15%
- Montgomery: Wednesday – 75% | Thursday – 96% | Friday – 37%
- Tuscaloosa: Wednesday – 88% | Thursday – 24% | Friday – 48%
Now, not all of this rain will be related to Helene but the storm will add extra rainfall which could cause flooding. Be sure to keep your weather alerts on and always check for flood watches + warnings before driving anywhere!
The east side of the state could also be impacted by strong winds as the storm pushes inland. 20 miles per hour and higher are expected even after Helene weakens.
The storm and most rain should be out of the way by college football gamedays across the state.
Potential hurricane
At landfall, Helene is projected to be a Category 3 Hurricane. Currently, the National Hurricane Center has forecasted the storm to bring plenty of rain by Thursday morning. The eye of the storm could make landfall later in the afternoon.
The storm surge along the Florida coast could reach as high as 15 feet in some spots. A hurricane watch has been issued for several northwest Florida counties.
Make sure to follow the National Hurricane Center for the latest updates on Helene.
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