Hurricane Helene (/hɛˈliːn/, heh-LEEN)[1] was a large, destructive, and fast-moving Atlantic hurricane that was the strongest to strike the Big Bend region of Florida on record. The eighth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane[nb 1] of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Helene developed from a broad area of low pressure in the Western Caribbean Sea in late September that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) first began watching on September 17. By September 24, the disturbance had consolidated enough to become a tropical storm as it approached the Yucatán Peninsula, receiving the name Helene. Favorable conditions led to the cyclone's gradual intensification, and it became a hurricane early on September 25. More pronounced and eventually rapid intensification ensued as Helene traversed the Gulf of Mexico the following day, reaching Category 4 intensity on the evening of September 26. Late on September 26, Helene made landfall at peak intensity in the Big Bend region of Florida, near the city of Perry, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). In advance of Helene's expected landfall, the governors of Florida and Georgia declared states of emergency due to the significant impacts expected, including very high storm surge and hurricane-force gusts as far inland as Atlanta. Helene has also caused catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding, particularly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Hurricane warnings also extended further inland. Credit to Force Thirteen for the music and intro idea and also @scratchmaster295 and outro #TropicalCyclone #Category4 #Hurricane #Helene #Florida #2024
