Tropical Storm Helene Strengthening

Here is a quick update on Tropical Storm Helene. Helene is strengthening this evening. Maximum sustained winds are now 60 mph. Here is the latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center.

One of the concerning things with the forecast for Helene is that the storm is expected to strengthen to a major hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday, and also be moving at a fast forward speed on landfall and race inland. That combination will mean damaging wind gusts will spread farther inland with more damaging force than usual. The GFS and European both show a large area of damaging wind gusts. On the current track that would mean power outages will be a big problem over much of eastern Georgia and western South Carolina especially, and on probably into western North Carolina.

The track this early is not etched in stone, so the corridor of damage could shift, but the combination of high intensity and fast movement is something to watch. I will have a full update tomorrow morning.