LIVE Hurricane Helene live updates: Track storm path as Florida braces for landfall amid fears of catastrophic damage to homes and businesses By Natasha Anderson Published: 10:00 BST, 26 September 2024 | Updated: 10:10 BST, 26 September 2024 e-mail View comments Advertisement Hurricane Helene is braced to make landfall in Florida today threatening to bring catastrophic damage to homes in the Sunshine State. The Category 4 storm is approaching the US coastline with wind speeds of up to 130mph after spending days strengthening in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico . The storm is expected to make landfall on Florida's northwestern coast Thursday evening and as of early morning, hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into south-central Georgia.
Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency ahead of Helene's arrival with state officials warning the impact on residents and businesses could be 'unprecedented', while the National Weather Service in Tallahassee forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet and warned they could be particularly 'catastrophic and life-threatening' in Florida's Apalachee Bay. It added that high winds and heavy rains also posed risks. Follow our live blog below for the latest updates: 08:59 Florida braces for monster storm Helene Hurricane Helene is set to strike Florida's Gulf Coast within hours, threatening an 'unsurvivable' storm surge that would leave catastrophic damage and could deluge cities and swa.