Parts of South Florida are bracing for what's expected to become a major hurricane.
A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the Upper Florida Keys from the Channel 5 Bridge to Ocean Reef and for the southern Florida Peninsula east of Flamingo to the Palm Beach/Martin County
line...that includes South Florida.
With maximum sustained winds near 65 mph, Tropical Storm Helene is expected to cause coastal flooding of three to five feet. That could go higher, though, if the storm shifts to the east or gets stronger.
The National Weather Service says an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out today and tomorrow.
Here is the the 5am advisory just published from the National Hurricane Center in Miami:
At 400 AM CDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Helene was located near latitude 20.7 North, longitude 86.2 West. Helene is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). This motion
should continue through this morning, followed by a general northward motion beginning later today and continuing through Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Helene will pass near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula this morning, move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on later today and Thursday, and reach the Big Bend coast of Florida late Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are now near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to become a hurricane later today.