Hurricane Helene has rapidly intensified during its charge across a record-warm Gulf of Mexico, becoming a major hurricane this morning. It’s expected to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region this evening as a Category 3 storm.
That makes it the fourth hurricane to make landfall along the Gulf this season — and the second to strike Florida’s west coast, a region that’s still reeling from previous storms.
Hurricane Debby struck Florida’s Big Bend region in August, making landfall in an area still recovering from the catastrophic impacts of Category 4 Hurricane Idalia in 2023. And Hurricane Michael made history in 2018 as the strongest storm ever to strike the Florida panhandle when it made landfall as a Category 5 near Tyndall Air Force Base.
Hurricanes strike Florida more frequently than any other U.S. state. The northwestern region, which includes the panhandle and part of the Big Bend, is one of the most susceptible areas in the state.
