A storm surge warning has also been issued for the Indian Pass area of ​​Florida, south to Flamingo, at the tip of the Florida peninsula.

A hurricane warning means that there is a possibility of hurricane conditions. This warning is usually issued 48 hours before the expected onset of tropical storm force winds and conditions.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Indian Pass to the Walton-Bay County line and from north of Bonita Beach to south of Englewood, as well as the Lower Florida Keys.

Outside the US, a hurricane warning is also in effect for parts of eastern Mexico, from Cabo Catoche to Tulum and Pinar del Río in Cuba.

Helene is expected to produce four to eight inches of rain in western Cuba and the Cayman Islands, with isolated totals around 12 inches. In the southeastern U.S., it is expected to produce three to six inches of rain with isolated totals around 10 inches, and is likely to result in localized flash flooding and urban flooding. It is also expected to produce storm surge and high tides, leading to flooding from rising waters rushing inland from the coastline, the NHC said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 41 counties on Monday. which was expanded to 61 provinces on Tuesday. Sandbags were is being distributed to residents of Tallahassee, Gulfport and Henrico County in preparation for possible flooding.

DeSantis said he filed for a pre-landfall emergency with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The governor cautioned that forecast models range from showing the disturbance forming into a tropical storm, to others showing it intensifying into a potential Category 4 hurricane.

He said models show that the Big Bend and Panhandle areas should prepare for possible direct impact.

He urged Floridians to prepare by filling gas tanks, stocking up on food, clearing yards to prevent high winds from kicking up debris and to be aware of evacuation zones. So far, 18,000 technicians are ready to restore power, 3,000 National Guard troops are ready to help, and the Florida State Guard has also been activated, along with shallow water craft and search and rescue teams.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an extremely active hurricane season, predicting 17 to 24 named storms, of which eight to 13 could become hurricanes, including four to seven major hurricanes.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Reasons for the high activity include warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, reduced vertical wind shear, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced West African monsoon.

In the case of Helene, record-warm waters will fuel the disruption’s intensification. According to Climate Central, exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures along the system’s projected path through the northern Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico are at least 200 to 500 times more likely due to human-induced climate change. Rapidly intensifying hurricanes are becoming more common in the warming world.

The last three hurricanes to hit the US were Beryl, which made landfall in Texas in June, Debby, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region and again in South Carolina in August, and Francine, which made landfall in Louisiana on September 11.

If Helene does become a hurricane, it would be the fifth hurricane to hit Florida in three years, according to the Florida Climate Center.