Keystone-SDA
This content was published on September 27, 2024 – 05:25
(Keystone-SDA) Hurricane “Helene” continues to gain strength off the west coast of the US state of Florida. The US National Hurricane Center classified the hurricane in the evening (local time) as an “extremely dangerous hurricane” of the second highest category 4 – with sustained wind speeds of up to 215 kilometers per hour. “Helene” is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend region of northern Florida around 5 a.m. (CEST; 11 p.m. local time) today.
The US civil protection agency Fema warned urgently of the approaching storm that would hit several states. The effects are already being felt in Florida, said Fema boss Deanne Criswell – and the forecast indicates that storm surges of up to six meters high are to be expected on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
The entire west coast of Florida and the Big Bend region in the north of the state are particularly affected. According to data from the website Poweroutage.us, almost 400,000 households on the West Coast were without power by evening.
In the past few days, “Helene” has already caused numerous floods and power outages in Cuba. Severe flooding cut off several towns on the Caribbean island from the outside world.
Dark memories of devastating Hurricane Ian
The arrival of “Helene” is likely to bring back dark memories for many people in Florida. Two years ago, Hurricane “Ian” caused enormous damage there, killing more than 100 people. At that time, the center of the storm moved over densely populated areas in the southwest of the state. With wind speeds of around 240 kilometers per hour, “Ian” swept over coastal towns.
Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean water. According to experts, increasing global warming is increasing the likelihood of strong storms. Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins on June 1st and lasts until November 30th.
