Miami evades Hurricane Helene, "limited" impacts expected
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Miami is already feeling the impacts of Hurricane Helene as the storm is forecast to become a major hurricane Thursday before making landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Why it matters: Helene — expected to bring life-threatening storm surge to the west coast — is so large that almost the entire state is under some type of tropical storm or hurricane warning.
Zoom in: The National Weather Service in Miami says impacts from wind and flooding should be "limited." Here's what to expect:
- All of South Florida is under a tropical storm warning. Peak winds could reach 20-30mph with gusts up to 45 mph. But no shutters are needed, per ClimaData meteorologist John Morales.
- Helene is expected to drop 2-4 inches of rain in Miami.
- Miami Dade and Broward counties are under a flood watch. There will be localized flooding, but no storm surge threat.
- Low-lying areas, underpasses and poorly drained streets will be impacted.
What's open or closed: Miami-Dade schools remain open, but all outdoor activities and afterschool programs will be moved inside. Broward County schools are closed.
- All outdoor athletic events will be canceled, per the districts.
- Some other events around town, like a Latin Grammy cocktail reception originally scheduled for Thursday night, have been postponed.
- Miami Beach residents or employees can park their cars at many city garages for free through 8am Friday.
Zoom out: Helene's unusually large size means power outages could stretch from scattered areas in southeastern Florida all the way into Georgia and parts of South Carolina.
- Twenty of Florida's counties were under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders as of Thursday, according to the state's Division of Emergency Management.
- Local 10 meteorologist Michael Lowry says Helene is forecast to be one of the five largest storms on record in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of its wind field.