close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Tracker, Projected Path, Latest Forecast
news

Tracker, Projected Path, Latest Forecast


The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a tornado warning for parts of Georgia and South Carolina. Major flooding is expected due to the large amount of rain Helene will bring.

Meteorologists say Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Thursday night as a major hurricane, possibly even a Category 3 hurricane, before barreling into Georgia.

Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect for more than 42 million people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to make landfall somewhere in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night.

After the storm makes landfall, it is expected to reach Georgia, where impacts from the storm will be significant across the state and in northern and central Georgia, the National Weather Service Office in Atlanta said.

Significant storm surges and coastal flooding are expected in the Peach State, with parts of Savannah likely to see flooding Thursday night into Friday. Northern and central Georgia could experience flash flooding, damaging winds leading to power outages and even short-lived tornadoes.

On Thursday morning, the service issued a tornado watch for parts of Georgia and South Carolina until 9 p.m. ET. The area under the watch includes Savannah, Charleston and Columbia.

Complete your preparations now, says NWS

The storm’s impact is expected to begin Thursday afternoon, with meteorologists saying it will peak Thursday night into Friday. If preparations for the storm aren’t complete, officials warn they should be implemented immediately.

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service warned residents of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that inland flooding could be deadly even after the first hurricane has passed.

“NOAA’s National Weather Service is warning communities that flooding, rainfall and high winds in Helene will not be limited to the Gulf Coast, but are expected to extend hundreds of miles inland,” the release said.

The service warned that outside Florida, major flooding risks could occur in areas around metro Atlanta and western North Carolina.

Tracker for Hurricane Helene

Weather alerts for Georgia

Contributors: Gabe Hauari, Dinah Voyles Pulver

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.