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Tropical storm Helene may serve as a reminder for National Disaster Preparedness Month

NOAA

Weather watchers are tracking the progress of what could soon become Hurricane Helene. The system grew to Tropical Storm strength as it made it way north through the Gulf of Mexico. Helene is expected to make landfall along the Florida panhandle overnight on Thursday, perhaps as a major hurricane. That path is east of Alabama. But, September is also National Disaster Preparedness Month. Dave Ebersole is with the National Weather Service in Mobile. He says rip currents caused by storms that miss Alabama are often a concern…

“When these tropical systems are coming up, it's just something that could be easily overlooked, but they're going to cause changes in the waves and the winds and make rip currents much more likely at the beaches. And you know that that heavy surf may look like fun to play in, but it it hides death, so got to be careful,” he said. Forecasters say Helene is, at this point, unlikely to cause dangerous rip currents off of Alabama.

Tropical Storm Helene formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday after bringing heavy rains and big waves to the Cayman Islands. Forecasters warned the storm could strengthen into a major hurricane en route to the southeast U.S. Hurricane watches were in effect for Florida's Tampa Bay and from Englewood to Indian Pass, as well as for eastern Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum and for Cuba's Pinar del Rio province.

Alabama may see wind and rain from Helene, but the storm is expected to deliver a glancing blow to our State while making landfall on the Florida panhandle and cutting up through West Central Georgia. Hurricane Francine hit the Texas coast earlier this month, but left Alabama’s Gulf coast on the alert for flooding. Dave Ebersole with the National Weather Service in Mobile says Helene is a good reminder to be careful around the rising water that can occur with big storms…

“People are going to have to commute, you know, you know, if the conditions aren't too bad, but you just got to be really careful. Don't drive through flooded roadways,” said Ebersole. “Just don't take a chance. Because, you know, the water can be hiding where a road is washed out or or something like that, and you won't see it. And you know, tragedy lurks, so just be careful.”

U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on Tropical Storm Helene and his administration is in touch with officials from states in the storm, the White House said on Tuesday. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency in Georgia ahead of Tropical Storm Helene's potential impact. Kemp said the state would open its emergency operations center and designate 500 members of the National Guard who could be called up for active service as needed. Kemp also suspended some rules about limits on commercial trucking operations and declared that rules against price gouging are in effect.

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