Weather Extra: Hurricane Helene effects expected to start Thursday afternoon
Charlotte area could see wind gusts up to 55 mph, 2-5 inches of rain, possible flash flooding and scattered power outages during the storm's peak early Friday
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Look for rain from Hurricane Helene to arrive Thursday afternoon, with heaviest downpours early Friday morning bringing 2-4 inches; power outages, flooding possible
Rare tropical storm warnings are in place in many parts of the Southeast. (Source: National Hurricane Center)
by Steve Lyttle
Hurricane Helene means business.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Mecklenburg, Union and several surrounding counties — unusual for our area that is 180 miles from the coast.
Helene continued to strengthen Wednesday evening as it churned northward in the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s becoming apparent that the storm will bring all kinds of trouble to a huge portion of the Southeast.
The storm is now forecast to have 130 mph sustained winds when it makes landfall Thursday evening on the Florida panhandle, but because it will be racing (by tropical standards) northward at around 20 mph, it will move far inland before losing its strong winds.
It now appears that Helene will still be a hurricane in central Georgia, and some hurricane-force gusts are likely in Atlanta. It is forecast to be a 60 mph tropical storm in northern Georgia, and some of those winds will be felt across the western Carolinas.
What’s in store here: In Charlotte, we’re in for 2-4 inches of rain, winds gusting to 55 mph, scattered power outages, possible flash flooding and an isolated tornado risk early Friday.
Charlotte is likely to get 2-4” of rain from the storm. (Source: National Hurricane Center)
Rain bands from Helene are likely to arrive in the Charlotte area mid-afternoon Thursday. The heaviest rain is likely from 3 to 10 a.m. Friday, and the strongest winds are likely from 5 a.m. to early afternoon. The tornado risk is low but not zero. If tornadoes develop, they’re most likely southeast of I-85 and in the early-morning hours Friday.
Get ready: This evening is a good time to prepare.
Clean leaves and branches from storm drains near your house.
Make sure you have battery backups for things you need, in case the power goes out.
On Thursday, be sure to fully charge all your devices. Power outages are most likely to happen on Friday from around 6 a.m. to noon.
Stay alert: Keep tabs on the forecast. Things are likely to change. Helene is still developing, and there could be changes in the wind strength and rainfall totals. Charlotte is on the edge of what will be the storm's biggest impacts.
By the way, flooding is taking place this evening in the N.C. mountains, far western South Carolina and northeast Georgia. This is entirely separate from Helene. It's called a Predecessor Rain Event, and it's caused by a stalled front and an onshore flow of moist air from the Atlantic. Today's flooding will set the stage for what could be catastrophic flooding once Helene arrives.
Steve Lyttle is a longtime Charlotte-area weather writer with a passion for meteorology and delivering smart, insightful updates that aim to inform and educate. Follow his “Weather With Steve” Facebook page for daily updates on Charlotte weather.
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