Hurricane Helene is not just a strong storm, it is a big storm – and its size and strength are only expected to increase. This means that the wind, rain and damage will extend far beyond the forecast cone.

“The National Hurricane Center forecast cone was never intended to capture all of the effects of a hurricane,” explains weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. “It simply shows where there is a two-thirds chance that the center of the storm will move.”

(MORE: Hurricane Helene Weather Forecast | Maps Tracker)

This storm could bring a tropical storm force wind field hundreds of miles wide, so it is more important than ever to focus on the impacts of Helene, not the cone itself.

Because the storm is so large, it will act like a bowling ball hurtling inland, carrying a significant amount of momentum inland. The storm will be able to maintain its intensity as it moves inland, and could still be a hurricane as it enters southern Georgia.

Wind threat: The National Hurricane Center predicts that Helene’s tropical storm force winds will extend outward as far as 200 miles from the storm’s center. This means that if Helene makes landfall in the Big Bend area of ​​Florida, tropical storm force winds could extend across much of the state, including places far to the south. As the storm moves inland, so will the winds.

“Another important factor is that this large hurricane is going to be moving faster, both before and after landfall,” Erdman said. “That means the strong winds are going to be hitting farther inland than a slow-moving hurricane would.”

Hurricane-force winds could reach southern Georgia on Thursday evening, and tropical storm-force winds could reach much of Georgia, including Atlanta, and parts of South Carolina on Friday.

Flood risk: Flood concerns will also extend far beyond the forecast cone.

“An additional threat is the so-called ‘preceding’ rainstorm, an area of ​​heavy rainfall in the southern Appalachians expected well ahead of Helene’s arrival from Wednesday night through Thursday,” Erdman explained.

The Weather Prediction Center has already issued a rare “high” risk of flooding for parts of the Appalachians ahead of Wednesday’s rain. This includes parts of western North Carolina, northern Georgia and upstate South Carolina; a region that is highly susceptible to flooding. Once the preceding rain passes, Helene will move right in, creating a perfect storm in terms of flood potential.

There is also a risk of flooding across much of the Southeast, from western Tennessee to the Atlantic coast, where up to a foot of rain could fall.

“Helene is a textbook example of why hurricanes don’t just happen on the coast,” Erdman said.

Storm surge: Storm surge will also be a major problem along the coast, outside the forecast cone. Storm surges of up to 15 feet could occur in Big Bend, Florida, and storm surges of up to 5 to 8 feet could occur in Tampa Bay. Storm surges are forecast for the entire west coast of Florida.

Although the highest storm surge for Helene will occur along and east of the location where the storm makes landfall, significant water rise is still likely outside the cone.