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Hurricane Helene tracker: When is storm projected to make landfall in Florida?

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Updated  September 26, 2024 6:18am EDT
Hurricane Helene
FOX 35 Orlando

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UPDATE: This story is no longer being updated. For the latest on Hurricane Helene and live updates on the storm's track ahead of landfall, visit here.

Hurricane Helene made landfall about 10 miles away from Perry, Florida, in the Big Bend region shortly before midnight on Sept. 26, 2024. Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Original story below

Hurricane Helene intensified into a Category 2 storm on Thursday and is expected to strengthen to possibly a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) before it makes landfall in Florida's Big Bend, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Where is Hurricane Helene right now?

Hurricane Helene made landfall as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm in Florida's Big Bend region, with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said the "eye" of Helene crossed over land at about 11:10 p.m. just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River.  This is about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida, or about 40 miles east-southeast of Tallahassee. The storm was moving at 24 mph to the north-northeast.

MORE | Live updates: Major hurricane expected to slam Florida's Big Bend region

When will Hurricane Helene reach Florida?

Helene is expected to strengthen and increase in forward speed on Thursday morning, bringing the storm's center over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and to the Florida Big Bend coast by Thursday evening. 

According to the latest data, landfall is expected between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursday. However, the NHC said it is still too soon to pinpoint an exact location and time since track forecasts can be off by an average of 60 nm at the 36-hour forecast time.

RELATED | Hurricane Helene: Airline travel advisories, flight delays, cancellations; what to know

After making landfall, Helene is expected to weaken, however, due to the storm's size, speed, and strength, strong, damaging winds are possible for much of the inland southeastern United States. 

Tracking Hurricane Helene: Latest path, cone towards Florida

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