Hurricane Helene produces ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge, over 1 million power outages

As of 11:10 P.M. EDT, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a devastating Category 4 hurricane. Live updates on Hurricane Helene have moved here. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hurricane Helene has made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, after intensifying into a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph. The monster hurricane is unleashing a potentially “unsurvivable” 20-foot storm surge, catastrophic hurricane-force winds and flooding rain.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued a rare Extreme Wind Warning for several counties in the Big Bend ahead of the approach of the eyewall.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said there is a significant risk of a life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula, as well as Florida’s Big Bend region because of Hurricane Helene’s massive size.TRACKING HURRICANE HELENE: LIVE FORECAST CONE, SPAGHETTI MODELS, ALERTS, WIND PROJECTIONS AND MOREThe highest inundation, with as much as 20 feet of storm surge flooding, is expected from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River in Florida, with other locations like Apalachicola and Chassahowitzka forecast to see 10-15 feet of storm surge.After landfall, more than 1 million customers were without power in Florida, and outages were also climbing in Georgia and the Carolinas.”A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” the NHC warned.  The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called the expected storm surge into Apalachee Bay “catastrophic and potentially unsurvivable.”FOX Weather’s Ian Oliver said the surge quickly submerged streets around St. Pete Beach on Thursday evening, with high tide several hours away.And further south in a community called Sunset Beach, local fire rescue said it would no longer respond to calls for service due to the flooding.Clearwater Beach reported its highest surge since at least the Superstorm of 1993, with a level of more than 7 feet. Deputies in Lee County were seen going from door-to-door in Fort Myers Beach looking for storm victims needing help.A storm surge of more than 5 feet was reported which submerged roadways, forcing deputies to use boats for searches.The Lee County Sheriff’s Office deployed what is known as a swamp buggy in a neighborhood known as Margaritaville along Fort Myers Beach.WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TROPICAL DEPRESSION, TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE?The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office in Florida’s Big Bend asked residents who chose not to heed mandatory evacuation warnings for Hurricane Helene to write their name and other identifying information in permanent marker on their arms or legs.”Phase 2 of the storm will be this evening when Helene makes landfall,” FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Byran Norcross said. “Based on everything we know, damage will be widespread around Tallahassee east and west and far north into Georgia. These are heavily treed communities that will not handle extreme winds. Power could be out for weeks.”During the hurricane, the Florida Highway Patrol reported responding to a serious crash along Interstate 4 with the possibility of one fatality.In a Florida Department of Transportation video, a highway sign appeared to be dislodged and lying on a car.Troopers have not revealed what they believe caused the crash but encouraged residents to simply stay home until the worst of the weather exits the region.WHERE DOES HELENE GO AFTER HITTING FLORIDA? SOUTHEAST, MID-ATLANTIC COULD SEE CATASTROPHIC FLOODINGNearly the entire state of Florida is under some sort of tropical weather alert, with Tropical Storm Warnings extending hundreds of miles inland into Georgia and the Carolinas, including Atlanta. WHAT TO DO WHEN HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR YOUR TOWNNHC Director Dr. Michael Brennan joined FOX Weather on Thursday and urged residents to listen to officials and leave immediately if told to do so.”The impacts of this storm are on an enormous scale and are going to extend over multiple states all the way up into the Carolinas and southern Appalachians – the storm surge, the hurricane and tropical storm force winds and the potential for catastrophic rainfall,” Brennan said.Brennan brought up Hurricane Michael in 2018 when talking about how deadly and dangerous a storm surge can be.”When Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach in 2018, there were people who waited until that last minute, and people drowned in their cars trying to get away because the water comes up so fast that you cannot get out,” Brennan noted. “That’s why you should follow those evacuation orders you’re given by your local officials and get out ahead of the storm. Much of these areas, you still have time, but that time is rapidly running out.WHERE DOES HELENE GO AFTER HITTING FLORIDA? SOUTHEAST, MID-ATLANTIC COULD SEE CATASTROPHIC FLOODING