Update: September 27, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET
Helene made landfall Thursday night as a Category
4 hurricane near Perry, Florida, bringing devastating storm surge, severe winds,
and heavy rain, and leaving at least six people dead in Florida and Georgia.
According to ABCNews.com,
Helene weakened to a tropical storm on Friday morning over Georgia, but
continued to dump heavy rain on the region, creating flooding issues across the
state, including in major areas like Atlanta.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware.com,
over 600 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled, and
another 1,000 were delayed as of 8 a.m. ET. On Thursday, 1,300 flights were canceled
and another 6,196 were delayed.
Airports in Tampa, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, and Southwest
Florida International were the most impacted, while all major U.S. airlines
serving the region continue to face delays and cancellations.
Cruise lines sailing into and out of the major Florida ports
impacted by the storm—Port Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral, and the Port of
Jacksonville—have been forced to change itineraries to avoid the devastating storm.
Update: September 26, 2024, at 2:25 p.m. ET
With its current trajectory and strength, Hurricane Helene
is likely to be a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida on Thursday
night. The storm system is expected to deliver catastrophic, possibly record
storm surge, destructive winds, and flooding rainfall.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware.com,
1,156 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled, and
another 2,676 were delayed as of 2:05 p.m. ET. Airports in Tampa, Atlanta,
Miami, Charlotte, and Southwest Florida International were the most impacted.
Major U.S. airlines were also feeling the pressure, as
Southwest, Delta, American and United were contending with hundreds of delays
and cancellations each. Travelers are advised to call their airline before
heading to the airport.
Update: September 26, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET
Hurricane Helene intensified into a Category 2 hurricane overnight as it continued to head toward Florida, bringing possible record storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall.
According to Weather.com, Helene will spread well inland through Friday, leaving life-threatening flash flooding, damaging winds and some tornadoes expected in Florida and parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.
The storm could reach Category 3 Hurricane status before landfall in Florida due to low wind shear and deep, warm ocean water along its future path. Hurricane warnings are in effect from Florida's Big Bend and Nature Coast into middle Georgia, while tropical storm warnings cover almost the entire rest of Florida and Georgia not covered by hurricane warnings, all of South Carolina and much of western North Carolina.
In the airline industry, Tampa International Airport suspended all commercial and cargo flights on Thursday morning while Orlando, Jacksonville, and Miami facilities were all monitoring the situation. All airlines serving the region have issued travel advisories and waived change fees for impacted travelers.
Cruise lines have also been impacted, as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian have all been forced to alter itineraries to stay out of Helene's projected path. Seaports in Florida are also preparing to temporarily close to commercial traffic if necessary.
Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are also closing certain attractions on Thursday as the area braces for the impact of the dangerous hurricane.
Update: September 25, 2024, at 8:20 p.m. ET
Helene is now a hurricane as it closes in on the Florida panhandle, achieving Category 1 status on Wednesday.
The storm is projected to reach Category 3 or 4 by the time it makes landfall later this week, prompting evacuation orders and closing beaches along the Gulf Coast.
Tampa International Airport and other regional hubs will close or suspend service in anticipation.
Travelers with plans to fly into or out of the region are advised to check their flight status prior to arriving at the airport.
Update: September 25, 2024, at 8:20 a.m. ET
Helene became a tropical storm overnight and is forecast to become
a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday as it makes its way toward Florida and the
United States.
According to Weather.com,
Tropical Storm Helene forced the state of Florida to order hurricane warnings
and watches along the state’s entire Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center
shows the storm developing and moving north with strong winds, heavy rains, flash
floods and damaging storm surge through the Florida Panhandle on Thursday
night.
Helene is then expected to weaken as it heads into Georgia,
while parts of the Southeast—including the Carolinas—could still see tropical
storm-force winds as the system continues moving inland.
As for travel, airlines serving Florida and the Southeast
have issued travel advisories and waived change fees. Airports in the
state—including Miami, Tampa, and Orlando International—are all currently
operating but are ready to suspend operations if necessary.
Florida’s seaports are also preparing for the storm, with Port
Tampa Bay and Port Canaveral issuing statements that interruptions are possible
in the coming days. Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have been forced to alter itineraries
in anticipation of Helene’s path.
Update: September 24, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared an emergency for
41 of the 67 counties in the state as a potentially devastating storm continues
to form in the Caribbean Sea with a trajectory toward the United States.
According to Weather.com,
the storm system is expected to become Tropical Storm Helene on Tuesday before intensifying
into a hurricane. The storm will bring wind, rain, and storm surge to the
southeast before making an expected landfall in Florida.
The National Hurricane Center dubbed the storm Potential
Tropical Cyclone Nine.
As a result, a hurricane watch is in effect for the Gulf
Coast of Florida from Englewood to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay and
Charlotte Harbor. A tropical storm watch is in place to the north and south of
the hurricane watch area, from Indian Pass to the Walton-Bay County line and
from north of Bonita Beach to Englewood.
The airline industry in the Caribbean has already started
suspending operations for airports in the storm’s projected path, while
carriers in the U.S.—including Delta and United—have begun issuing
advisories and waiving change fees for impacted airports.
As for the cruise industry, the U.S. Coast Guard placed Port
Canaveral on alert for an approaching hurricane and warned officials about
potentially dangerous conditions. Cruise lines like MSC
Cruises have already altered itineraries, with more companies expected to make
changes.
Original Text
Is Hurricane Helene on the way?
The National Weather Center said that a group of
disturbances could form into Hurricane Helene as early as Wednesday. Hurricane Watches
have
already been issued for parts of Cuba and Mexico, and forecasters are
predicting the storm could come up the Gulf Coast and hid the southern United
States.
Right now, it is known as Invest 97L. But it sure has
travelers and travel companies keeping a wary eye.
“It could certainly become a major hurricane, which is
Category 3,” Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist at the center, said
in a phone interview. “People in the Florida Panhandle and the west coast of
Florida certainly need to pay close attention."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking no chances. He has
already declared a state of emergency in 41 counties.
Reinhart said that it's too early to forecast where it
makes landfall.
“It’s a pretty aggressive forecast for intensification
over the next few days,” he said. “People need to remain on high alert.”
Florida could suffer from wind and rain, but most
early models predict the storm will head more westerly toward Mexico.
The cluster of storms was about 110 miles from Grand
Cayman today, Monday, September 23, 2024. Up to four inches of rain is expected for the
eastern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, a popular tourist area. Cancun
and Riviera Maya are included in the Hurricane Watch.
Airlines and cruise lines are likely to adjust their
schedules as the storm progresses. Major travel centers in Florida such as Tampa,
Orlando and Fort Myers could be affected, not to mention New Orleans and parts
of Texas, Alabama and Mexico.
“Regardless of development, this system is expected to
produce heavy rains over portions of Central America during the next several
days. Interests in the northwestern Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico,
and western Cuba should closely monitor the progress of this system … Later
this week, the system is forecast to move generally northward across the
eastern Gulf of Mexico, and interests along the northern and northeastern Gulf
Coast should also closely monitor the progress of this system.”
Hurricane season
in the Atlantic Basin is technically not over until November 30.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
