This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era. Record flooding is forecasted and has been compared to the floods of 1916 in the Asheville area,
We are exceptionally concerned this could be catastrophic flooding,
The impacts from this event are expected to be greater than Tropical Storm Fred from August 2021, the mountains in 2004 from Frances and Ivan, and in Upstate South Carolina the Saluda River Basin flooding from 1949,
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,
Far greater than what's typical in this part of the country,
Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down with scattered power outages,
Take the storm seriously. People in Hurricane Helena's path, you need to listen to your local officials if they tell you to evacuate,
Very large Hurricane #Helene strengthening and expected to make landfall as a major hurricane in the Florida Big Bend region this evening,
As someone who’s issued these forecasts, I assure you the folks at NHC don’t make these changes lightly. This is as big as it gets,
Widespread and prolonged power outages, damage to critical infrastructure, catastrophic damage to trees and powerlines, widespread inaccessibility due to blocked roads, and damage to well-built structures will all be possible,
You need to prepare for prolonged (energy) outages. Those trees are going to come down in strong winds, block roads,
This is not a survivable event for those in coastal or low- lying areas,
For those in the path, that unfortunately means catastrophic wind impacts,
Say a prayer for our friends in Florida and Georgia who are bracing for what seems to be a very bad storm,
Elevated coastal waters are forecast to last 24 to 36 hours into Friday evening,
The impacts are going to be far beyond the eye of the storm,
I expect the water to come up and just don't want to get in the house,
If a tornado warning is issued in your area, make sure you take shelter in a sturdy interior room on the lowest level, away from exterior doors and windows. It's also important to review evacuation zones and routes if you live near the coast,
You're not going to be able to see them until they're right on top of you,
Everywhere east of the center of circulation is where we typically look for a tornado risk in tropical systems,