Tropical Storm Helene Strengthens as Hurricane Warnings Cover Parts of Florida and Mexico

Tropical Storm Helene Strengthens as Hurricane Warnings Cover Parts of Florida and Mexico
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image taken at 6:10pm ET shows Tropical Storm Helene off the Gulf Coast of Florida near Mexico and Cuba on Sept. 24, 2024. NOAA via AP
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Tropical Storm Helene was rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S., prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close, and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The storm is forecast to be “near hurricane strength” when it passes near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and to “intensify and grow in size” as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, with a “life-threatening storm surge” along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the center.