Hurricane Helene's arrival in Florida is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge of up to 20 feet for some parts of the state.
A Storm Surge Warning is in place for the entire Florida coastline, including the Tampa Bay region. Remember: hide from the wind; run from the water.
The worst storm surge is expected to be from Citrus County northward around the Big Bend to approximately Carrabelle. A storm surge of 15-20 feet above ground level is possible across all of that region and residents along the coast are being encouraged to evacuate.
Forecast Storm Surge Values
- Citrus County and northward: 15 - 20 feet
- Hernando and Pasco County: 8 - 15 feet
- Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee Counties: 5 - 8 feet
- Sarasota County: 4 - 7 feet
The life-threatening storm surge could start to retreat after midnight Friday morning.
Here's more information about storm surge and an explanation of storm surge warnings:
HURRICANE RESOURCES
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.