7-day rainfall forecast through Sunday, Sept. 29. Image: Pivotal Weather
Tropical Storm Helene is forecast to become a powerful hurricane that will pound the Florida gulf coast tomorrow before bringing heavy rain to Tennessee.
Threat level: Helene, which was slow to organize over the far western Caribbean, is expected to rapidly intensify once it develops a well-defined center of circulation and moves into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
Helene's anticipated large size would put the entire state, including Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee and Jacksonville in play for damaging winds and heavy rains.
Zoom in: It's premature to know the precise impacts for Nashville, but the initial forecast calls for heavy rain. In addition to the Nashville area, the Smoky Mountains region could be in store for large amounts of rain, according to an early Tuesday forecast from the National Weather Service.
Go deeper: Read Freedman's coverage of Helene, including its threat to the Florida panhandle where many Nashvillians vacation over fall break.
