Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida as the strongest storm on record for the region
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned of “catastrophic” flooding along the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Helene roared ashore around 11:10 p.m. EDT near the mouth of the Aucilla River in the Big Bend area of Floridas Gulf Coast. It had maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 mph ( 225 kph). Officials have forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Floridas Apalachee Bay. Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene strengthened into a Category 4 storm ahead of its expected landfall on Floridas northwest coast Thursday night as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S. FULL STORY: https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/hurricane-helene-threatens-unsurvivable-storm-surge-moving-toward-flordia-national-hurricane-center-state-of-emergency# Stay up to date with our digital and social media content: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBCMontana Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBCMontana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbc_montana/ Latest local news and weather: https://nbcmontana.com/ Latest Weather Forecast: https://nbcmontana.com/weather Download our App: https://nbcmontana.com/station/nbc-montana-news-and-weather-app Share Your Photos and Videos: https://NBCMontana.com/ChimeIn Send us News Tips: ml-Missoula-KECI-News@sbgtv.com Call our newsroom: 406-721-5642 NBC Montana is a MT based station and a NBC Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets, after pending transactions. #montana#montanamoment#nbcmontana#mtwx#news
