Hurricane Helene: County-by-county impacts, timeline

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Updated  September 26, 2024 2:18pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando

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The Brief

    • Hurricane Helene strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane earlier Thursday, and is expected to make landfall over Florida's Big Bend region this evening as a major hurricane (Cat. 3 or higher).
    • "Catastrophic" and life-threatening storm surge, flooding, and damaging winds are possible for Florida's Gulf Coast.
    • Heavy rain, damaging winds, tornadoes are the biggest threats for Central Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Helene strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Thursday and is projected to potentially become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

Parts of Florida are under tropical storm, hurricane, and storm surge and tornado watches and warnings. Several schools, colleges, and universities have announced closures ahead of the storm.

The impacts of Helene will be felt throughout Thursday in Central Florida. Strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and tornadoes are all expected and possible at Helene's bands make their way through the area.

Here are the anticipated impacts – and when – for Brevard County, Flagler County, Lake County, Marion County, Orange County, Osceola County, Polk County, Seminole County, Volusia County, as well as those in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy counties.

Flager, Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Brevard counties

  • When will the worst weather arrive? Thursday evening through early Friday morning
  • What can we expect? Strong winds and tornadoes
  • What rainfall can we expect? Periodic rains, 1-4" possible

Marion, Lake, Sumter and Polk counties

  • When will the worst weather arrive? Thursday evening and Friday morning
  • What can we expect? Strong winds and a few tornadoes
  • What rainfall can we expect? Heavy rain, 3-7" possible

Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Alachua counties

  • When will the worst weather arrive? Thursday afternoon and Friday morning
  • What can we expect? Tropical-storm-force winds, storm surge, flooding and tornadoes
  • What rainfall can we expect? Heavy rain, 6-10" possible

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