According to local media outlet Diario Cambio 22, Cancún, Mexico, began to experience the first effects associated with Tropical Storm Helene, such as falling trees, significant flooding, and the collapse of light structures.
Some areas of the Mexican Social Security Institute’s specialty hospital also reported fallen ceilings and collapsed windows, while much of the city has reported power outages and voltage fluctuations since dawn.
Just on Monday of this week, Tropical Storm John hit the Central American nation and caused at least three deaths, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, in the southern US state of Florida, the forecast of the rapid strengthening of the system forced the evacuation of thousands of people starting Tuesday in parts of counties such as Citrus, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Gulf, Manatee and Pinellas, CNN reported.
Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday expanded an emergency declaration to 61 of the 67 counties in his district amid the threat of more inland impacts and to speed up preparations.
Fallen trees, structures and flooding are reported in Cancun Photo: Taken from Diario Cambio 22
At least 3,000 members of the Florida National Guard are ready to help and the State Guard has been activated, DeSantis confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency due to the effects expected later this week, the northern media reported.
He added that the estimates indicate that Helene will make landfall in the last hours of Thursday on the Gulf Coast of Florida, with the possibility of entering through the Big Bend region and behaving like the most intense storm in the northern country in more than a year.
