As Helene approaches Florida here's what you need to know

Nearly the entire state of Florida is under a state of emergency after new predictions were issued by the National Hurricane Center.

Helene is forecast to not only be a major hurricane at landfall in Florida's Big Bend area, but Helene is also expected to grow geographically in size, meaning it will impact more of Florida over the next 48 to 72 hours.

The earliest storm-force winds arrival time for Helene, according to the NHC, is Wednesday morning for the Keys, Wednesday evening for Southwest Florida, and Thursday morning for the northern Gulf Coast.

A storm surge watch was issued for Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and Indian Pass south to Flamingo, at the tip of the Florida Peninsula. A hurricane watch is in effect between Englewood and Indian Pass and Tampa Bay and a tropical storm watch runs from Flamingo to Walton County, as well as parts of the Keys.

State officials say now is the time to review hurricane plans and make sure that you are executing your hurricane preparedness plan and know your evacuation zone. . Make sure you have you have gas tanks filled, sufficient water and enough non-perishable food to last you — particularly when you have power outages. Make sure to clear up any loose objects in your yard that could become a dangerous flying object in strong winds.

Leslie Chapman Henderson, the CEO of FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) has some great advice for Floridians in the coming days.

The state of emergency activates government agencies to address power outages, blocked roads, and reduced access to health services. That includes calling up the Florida National Guard as needed.

Counties under a state of emergency are eligible for increased access to services, including prescription refills up to 30 days early, shelters at public facilities, and more.

The Division of Emergency Management will provide updates, including county emergency management information, sandbag use, evacuation information, and more on its website.

If you live in a flood-prone area and are worried about flooding and/or storm surge, counties that are under a state of emergency have sandbags available to residents. Check with your local municipality for more information on where to get them.

You can also click this link from Florida’s Division of Emergency management to get more info on how to prepare in the coming days: https://www.floridadisaster.org/Updates

To make sure your hurricane kit is stocked and ready to go with essentials, check out our article and video here:

https://www.wuft.org/weather/2024-09-20/hurricane-kit-haul-the-essentials-your-kit-needs-this-season
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