Hurricane Season 2024

Unsettled weather conditions for parts of Florida will make recovery and cleanup efforts harder for some.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible Floridians whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Debby are encouraged to submit a claim at FloridaJobs.org .This and other information is available in this article.

Ranchers, farmers and timber growers are reporting widespread damage from the wind and rain of Hurricane Helene, which raced through rural North Florida last week.Chicken houses had roofs blown off. Acres of sweet corn and carrots were laid horizontal. Irrigation systems have been uprooted. Fences were destroyed by fallen trees. Hay has been left wet and moldy in damaged barns.Incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, described conditions in fields across North Florida as “worse” than after Hurricane Idalia in August 2023. Idalia took a similar track, crossed many of the same fields and inflicted more than $400 million in damage to the industry.

Winds from Hurricane Helene caused damage and power outages Thursday.Numbers are taken from Florida Power and Light's power tracker map and Lee County Electric Cooperative's outage map.

A number of schools in Southwest Florida continued closures on Friday due to Hurricane Helene.

Helene holds maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and is moving even faster at 23 mph to the north-northeast.

Helene reached major category status shortly after 2 p.m. on Thursday and is racing north toward the Big Bend. Widespread power outages and catastrophic storm surges are expected.

Hurricane Helene's rain caused significant flooding across southwest Florida Thursday.WGCU will update this list of road closures using communication and social media posts from local municipalities.

Hurricane Helene is stronger, and the building of its eye is a sign of further strengthening.