Hurricane Helene is tracking toward Florida, where it is expected to make landfall Thursday night.
Helene will continue to track its way through the Southeast over the next two days and will cause flooding, power outages and other disruptions in the Carolinas.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency for the state ahead of the arrival of Helene. The order will activate National Guard and water teams to be available and on standby.
The National Weather Service said tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain will begin by late Thursday.
#Helene 🌫 Impacts Update: 9/25/2024 12pm
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) September 25, 2024
🕐Timing: Thursday 12 pm - Friday 4 PM
🌧 Rainfall 3-5" CLT, 6-15" Mountains/Foothills
💨Wind: Sustained 15-30 mph Gusts to 55 mph
🌪️Tornado risk: Low to isolated east of I-77.
📲Power outages possible charge your phones#cltwx…
NWS forecasters said some of the strongest winds are expected to happen Thursday night and Friday morning, and there’s a chance of an isolated tornado.
[1200 PM Wed 9/25] HELENE BECOMES A HURRICANE
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) September 25, 2024
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the NC mountains/foothills, Upstate SC, and northeast GA for tropical storm-force winds within the next 36-48 hours. The Flood Watch has been expanded further east into the western Carolinas. pic.twitter.com/PXTmYHZu0c
Much of western North Carolina into the mountains, and portions of South Carolina, are under a tropical storm watch. Areas around Asheville and Hickory are under a flood watch until Friday afternoon.
As people begin to evacuate from different areas of the U.S. Southeast, Charlotte Motor Speedway has opened its campgrounds to evacuees.
